India terrorism conference

India continues to throw good money after bad in its efforts to malign Pakistan, most recently by arranging the ‘No Money for Terror’ conference in New Delhi, where Pakistan was not invited and several major countries declined to attend. In fact, most of the attendees were actually delegations from NGOs, think-tanks, and a few tiny countries even smaller than the host city. The event appeared to be set up solely to give India the opportunity to claim Pakistan was accused of terror financing at an international conference. Even though most of the Indian government functionaries that spoke at the event did not directly name Pakistan, all of their references were shrouded by the thinnest of veils, such as naming terrorist groups that once had bases in Pakistan or whose leaders are Pakistani.

The potshots were not wholly a surprise. India has been fuming for several months after Pakistan managed to prove to the FATF and other international bodies that it is working hard and effectively to address concerns over terror financing and anti-money laundering measures, while also proving that Islamabad has no ties with terrorists — both of which go against New Delhi’s failed efforts to turn Pakistan into a pariah state. But like previous efforts, the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the speakers does not take away from the fact that no major nations attended or even backed the Indian position from afar.

It is also ironic that India continues to spread lies about Pakistan, while refusing to let independent parties investigate its own abuses in Occupied Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. It does not even tolerate criticism of BJP leaders and its allies who openly support convicted criminals — including terrorists — since this would be “interfering in India’s internal matters”. And we haven’t even gotten to India’s own alleged support for several terrorist groups, especially those targetting Pakistan. In fact, a more honest speech by PM Modi would have referred to his RAW’s office in New Delhi as the hub of terrorism in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 23^rd, 2022.

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