Modi misleading BRICS leaders: Sartaj

Says India shouldn’t speak of terror while carrying out state-terrorism in IOK

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday lashed out at Narendra Modi for insinuating that the country is a ‘mothership of terrorism’, saying that the Indian prime minister is misleading his Brics and Bimstec colleagues , and has no moral ground when his own government is involved in state terrorism in Kashmir.

“The Indian leadership is desperately trying to hide its brutalities in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, an internationally recognised dispute on the United Nations Security Council agenda, where innocent people are being killed and injured by occupation forces daily with impunity,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s adviser on foreign affairs said while reacting to Modi’s latest allegations against Pakistan.



In an official statement, Sartaj Aziz said “Pakistan joins all the members of BRICS and Bimstec in condemning terrorism and reaffirms its full commitment to fight the menace of terrorism without discrimination, including against the Indian state-sponsored terrorism on Pakistani soil.”



“Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism are well acknowledged and repeatedly appreciated by the leadership of most countries in the world,” he asserted. He said the armed forces of Pakistan and other law enforcement agencies have rendered ultimate sacrifices. “Pakistan has also suffered hugely in terms of economic losses in the fight against terrorism.”

Sartaj went on to say that with Indian state-sponsored terrorism and terror financing on Pakistani soil proven irrefutably, India has no moral ground to even talk about counter-terrorism efforts let alone do the finger pointing. “Pakistan is a victim of Indian interference and subversive activities, which are aimed at destabilising Pakistan,” he said.

“Unfortunately, in complete disrespect of international law and the UN Charter, the Indian government is pursuing its hegemonic designs,” he said adding these designs “are a threat to international peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.”

“The international community has witnessed the provocative statements from the Indian side, including ceasefire violations on the Line of Control.”



Sartaj said: “Pakistan calls upon the international community and especially the BRICS Leaders to ask India to stop the bloodshed of Kashmiris immediately, release Kashmiri leaders and thousands of Kashmiris taken away forcibly with their fate unknown and address the humanitarian crisis, caused by India through creation of shortage of basic amenities. “

“Pakistan further stresses that the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in IOK should be held accountable and UNSC Resolutions on Kashmir be implemented sooner than later,” the adviser added.

He said the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) were being subjected to genocide by India for demanding their fundamental right to self-determination, as promised to the Kashmiris in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

“Ongoing Indian atrocities for 100 days have taken a toll on the lives of over 150 innocent and defenceless Kashmiris, including children and women, and inflicted injuries on around 15,000, including the victims of pellet guns that blinded many hundreds, which has attracted international focus on the bloodshed in IOK. The UN Human Rights High Commissioner in Geneva and OIC SG, OIC Contact Group on Kashmir and OIC Independent Human Rights Commission have called for sending a fact finding mission to IOK. The UN and OIC have rejected Indian attempts to equate Kashmiris’ movement for self-determination with terrorism. The UN has repeatedly emphasised that people fighting for their self-determination cannot be categorised as terrorists by the occupying state,” the adviser said.



Earlier on Sunday, while addressing BRICS leaders in Goa,  Modi called for a strong united stand against the ‘mothership of terrorism in South Asia’, in a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan.

“In our region, terrorism poses a grave threat to peace, security and development,” Modi told leaders at the Brics summit in the tourist state of Goa. However, in their joint statement issued later, the Brics leaders made no mention of Pakistan while condemning recent attacks against some of its members ‘including India’.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2016.