India tears into ‘terror state’ Pakistan

India on Thursday called Pakistan “a terrorist state, which pumps in billions of dollars — much of it diverted from international aid — to training, financing and supporting terrorist groups as militant proxies against it neighbours”.

India’s sharpest attack on Pakistan came after PM Nawaz Sharif glorified at the United Nations Hizbul commander Burhan Wani killed by security forces in Kashmir in July.

Mr Sharif’s statement came three days after an attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 18 Indian soldiers in Kashmir’s Uri.

“We heard support by the Pakistan PM for a self-acknowledged commander of known terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen,” India said.

India said the land of Taxila (in Pakistan) was “one of the greatest learning centres of ancient times, (but) is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism” which “attracts aspirants and apprentices from all over the world”, and that “the effects of its toxic curriculum are felt across the globe”.

In a veiled indication towards China without naming it, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) later at a weekly briefing in Delhi said that “expressions of support (in the wake of the Uri attack) have been received from all of India’s neighbours except one”, and that “four of the five members of the UN Security Council have also spoken ...”. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said Pakistan’s diplomatic strategy at the UN had failed.

India also made it clear that the offer to Pakistan to verify involvement of its nationals in the Uri terror strike will be “limited” to providing fingerprints and DNA samples of terrorists killed. No Pakistan team will be allowed in Uri whereas in Pathankot a probe team from there had visited the site of the attack carried out in January. Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar had told the Pakistani envoy on Wednesday that “such bids (Uri terror attack) cannot be continuously mounted without the active and collaborative support of Pakistani security forces”. Mr. Swarup also said the “onus is now squarely on Pakistan to act against terrorist groups and entities which find safe haven and all types of support in Pakistan”. Mr Jaishankar had shown Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit “the GPS tracking devices, pictures of Pakistan-made grenades and the fingerprints of one of the terrorists”. The MEA hoped the Bill introduced in the US Congress by “two of the senior-most and highly-respected members of the Congress” to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism “will be treated with utmost seriousness”. On Pakistan’s diplomatic failure at the UN, Mr. Swarup said, “As far as the so-called (Pakistani) dossier is concerned, you have seen the readout given by the UN secretary general’s office. It makes no mention of the dossier.” The MEA said, “No one has referred to the issue that Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif devoted 80 per cent of his speech to. On the contrary, virtually every statement has referred to terrorism as the main threat.” At the UN, India also referred to the killing of terrorist and 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, saying “the world has not yet forgotten that the trail of that dastardly attack led all the way to Abbottabad in Pakistan”. The MEA also said India has raised with China the Uri attack issue and Pakistan’s involvement in it as well as the issue of UN sanctions against terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar by the UN.