In a scathing denunciation, India on Monday accused the Pakistani state, and senior officials of defending terrorists who were responsible for cross border attacks against India. Describing the interview on Pakistan’s Geo TV of globally designated terrorist Syed Salahuddin as a “confession”, the Ministry of External Affairs said it highlights the “unabashed manner” in which terrorists enjoy freedom of operation in Pakistan.
“It is a matter of deep regret that senior Pakistan functionaries continue to justify and defend the activities of such internationally designated terrorist entities and leaders who are responsible for killing thousands of innocent civilians over the past three decades,” the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday evening. He also described Salahuddin’s interview as proof of the complicity of the Pakistani state.
The response came after Syed Salahuddin who was designated as a global terrorist by the U.S. administration hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi met U.S. President Donald Trump during last week’s visit to the US, gave a TV interview in Pakistan on 2 June in which he boasted of having carried out attacks against India in the past. He also boasted of having the resources to strike India at will. Mr Salahuddin who leads the militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen has been wanted by India for his role in a number of attacks against Indian targets, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The brazen admission by Salahuddin of perpetrating terrorist attacks on India and having the capacity to carry out such attacks in India is a further proof of Pakistan’s continuing policy of cross border terrorism. His confession of assistance in such activities from Pakistan also affirms the complicity of Pakistan’s state structure in using terrorist proxies as a matter of policy against the neighbours,” he said.
Islamabad denies
Pakistan, however, on Monday dismissed the U.S. declaration on Salahuddin saying it was not a UN decision but a move by the Trump administration to “appease” India.
Alleging that India was offering its services to the US to “pressurise” China, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said India has been trying to downplay the Kashmir issue for a very long time.
Talking to a delegation from the Kashmir Journalists Forum, he said Salahuddin being designated a terrorist by the US was an attempt by the American administration to “appease” India.
Pakistan was not bound to follow the decision as it was not a United Nations (UN) declaration, Dawn newspaper quoted Mr. Aziz as saying.
Following the interview, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs also said the utterances of Mr Salahuddin confirmed that he was indeed a terrorist. “His designation as a global terrorist by the U.S. is well deserved,” said Home Ministry Spokesperson Ashok Prasad who said that he was “instrumental” in providing funds to terrorists and separatists and giving other kinds of assistance to the militants.
