WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States and India are strengthening counterterrorism and intelligence-sharing efforts as security concerns tied to Pakistan and China continue to shape regional dynamics, experts told lawmakers during a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia hearing on the U.S.–India strategic partnership.
Sameer Lalwani of the German Marshall Fund said counterterrorism cooperation “goes back since the Mumbai attacks in 2008” and today spans “law enforcement, intelligence sharing… counterterrorism (and) counterterror financing.” He noted India’s close coordination with the United States at the Financial Action Task Force and highlighted the role of the Combined Maritime Force, which conducts interdictions against illicit trafficking of arms, drugs and other channels that finance terrorism.
Lalwani said India’s capabilities are evolving quickly, citing advancements in “space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” systems and “AI tools and applications for better data fusion.” These developments, he said, will help both countries “more rapidly address threats” and support “more effective deterrence and counterterrorism operations.”
Committee Chairman Bill Huizenga pointed to growing momentum in bilateral engagement, noting that the two countries convened the 21st Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism this week to address “emerging threats, terror recruitment and financing.” He said the dialogue reflects significant opportunities for deeper operational, intelligence and policy coordination.
However, experts also issued stark warnings about Pakistan’s destabilizing role. Dhruva Jaishankar of ORF America said Pakistan has “a long and well-documented history of using non-state terrorist proxies against India.” He argued that “third-party mediation has often contributed to Pakistan’s adventurism,” referring to past crises in which external diplomatic interventions unintentionally emboldened Pakistani military leaders.
Jeff Smith of the Heritage Foundation echoed those concerns, quoting former President Trump’s criticism that the U.S. had provided Pakistan with billions in aid but received “nothing but lies and deceit.” Smith added that “a great deal of that terrorism has emanated from Pakistan,” stressing that Washington and New Delhi “need to do more… to convince the Pakistani military to stop using terrorist groups as assets of their foreign policy.”
Lawmakers noted that a recent attack in Kashmir — identified during testimony as having been perpetrated by members of a Pakistani terrorist group — has heightened Indian concerns. Smith described India’s response, which included strikes on terrorist training camps and an ensuing exchange involving “missiles, artillery and drones.” He repeated President Trump’s claim that the U.S. intervened diplomatically to facilitate a ceasefire, although New Delhi has maintained that the ceasefire was reached bilaterally at Pakistan’s request, without third-party involvement.
Witnesses said the shifting threat landscape requires integrating counterterrorism efforts into a broader Indo-Pacific strategy. Lalwani highlighted India’s expanding maritime capabilities and contributions to missions in the Indian Ocean, adding that cooperation in “anti-submarine warfare… is also happening with the Quad.” Jaishankar emphasized India’s increasingly regional role, noting that it is now providing military equipment to partners such as the Philippines, including “anti-ship cruise missiles,” as part of efforts to counter coercive actors and bolster regional security.
Throughout the hearing, experts underscored that counterterrorism remains one of the strongest pillars of the U.S.–India partnership. Huizenga said sustaining progress in intelligence sharing and operational coordination is essential at a time when adversaries “are redrawing borders by force” and challenging democratic partnerships across South Asia. (Source: IANS)
