India on Saturday echoed external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s views from last month’s UN General Assembly session, calling out Germany and Pakistan for not recognising the dangers of cross-border, or even international terrorism. The ministry of external affairs responded to Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto’s comments on alleged human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, during a joint press conference with German counterpart Annalena Baerbock.
Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was important to call out international terrorism as Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed a similar and sustained terrorist campaign for decades. “All serious and conscientious members of the global community have a role and responsibility to call out international terrorism… Jammu and Kashmir has borne the brunt of such a terrorist campaign for decades,” he said responding to queries by the media on comments about the Kashmir issue at the recent press conference by the German and Pakistani foreign ministers.
Bagchi further said it was a “grave injustice” to victims when countries ignored all forms of terrorism due to “self-interest” or “indifference”. The MEA spokesperson also said the foreign nationals, too, had been victims of terrorism in J-K as well as other parts of India. The UN Security Council and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) were still pursuing Pakistan-based terrorists involved in the 26/11 attacks, he added.
“This (terrorism in J-K) continues till date. Foreign nationals have been victims there as well and when states do not recognise such dangers, either because of self-interest or indifference, they undermine the cause of peace, not promote it. They also do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism,” Bagchi said.
At the UNGA, too, Jaishankar had said India was firm on a “zero tolerance approach” to cross-border terrorism having borne the brunt for decades soon after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had raised the Kashmir issue during his speech at the high-level session.
“Having borne the brunt of cross-border terrorism for decades, India firmly advocates a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach. In our view, there is no justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivation. And no rhetoric, however sanctimonious, can ever cover up bloodstains," Jaishankar had said.
India had also called out Pakistan and its all-weather ally China, saying countries who defended proclaimed terrorists in the UN neither advanced their own interests nor their reputation. This was a strong but veiled attack against the two countries, which have on multiple occasions blocked bids and proposals by India and its allies to designate Pakistan-based terrorists under the 1267 sanctions regime of the UN Security Council.
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