Without mincing words, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar tore into Pakistan’s narrative that terror attacks against India are done by non-state actors and said the state can not escape responsibility.
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He also said acting against some terror groups was not a justification to giving a free hand to other such groups.
In his speech at Friday’s conference, the Foreign Secretary also said that India and China should partner in the fight against terrorism.
Washington in an earlier response to former US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad’s observation had said that it was in constant conversation with the top leaders of Pakistan regarding the terror camps like the Haqqani network and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operating in the region. This is not just vis-a-vis India. “It was the situation even after 9/11”, Jaishankar said. Speaking about terrorism, the Foreign Secretary asserted that there is better and sharper understanding and awareness on the issue across the world.
The US has urged India and Pakistan to hold dialogue to de-escalate tensions, saying they don’t want the relations to worsen and “lead to some kind of incident”. India, which is increasingly upset over Pakistan’s policy, launched a counter offensive by first talking about alleged rights abuses in Balochistan and then repeating charges of terrorism.
India on Sunday had raised its concern with China over the CPEC when Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit that the two countries needed to be “sensitive” to each other’s strategic interests.
Pakistan has clung stubbornly to its own perceptions of national interest, and refused to compromise them even when it seemed irrational or self-defeating to U.S. eyes, he said. I think we need to be patient and see where we go.
The Foreign Secretary said no less significant is the ability of the two nations to work together at global forums on developmental issues.
The India-US pact facilitates the provision of logistical support, supplies and services between the US and Indian militaries on a reimbursable basis, and provides a framework to govern them.
In his address, Modi also said India can share experience and build partnerships for protection of marine resources, prevent environment degradation and tap blue economy.
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When asked if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would raise the issue of Kalbhushan Jadhav at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session, the FO spokesman said “the issue of Indian involvement would definitely be highlighted”.
