Reported Pakistani actions against terrorists and terror groups have exposed the country’s complicity in using terrorism as a tool of statecraft, the Ministry of External Affairs said here on Thursday.
Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Official Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Islamabad should take irreversible steps against the groups that are responsible for incidents like the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
“Pakistan claims that they have taken steps against terrorists and terrorist outfits, but when it comes to taking action against the people that we have demanded, they go into a denial mode, they even deny that they exist in their country. On the other hand they try to show the international community that they are taking some action against terrorist groups operating from their soil. They stand completely exposed as far as their claim of taking steps against terrorist groups in Pakistan is concerned,” said Mr. Kumar, saying that Pakistan’s announced financial crackdown on banned militant groups is not sufficient.
The Counter-Terrorism Department of Pakistan’s Punjab province filed cases on Wednesday against Jamat-ud-Dawa (JUD) chief Hafiz Saeed and other members of the organisation.
India blames Saeed and his colleagues of master minding the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. The MEA spokesperson said that “cosmetic” steps were not going to “fool” India.
The steps against the terror outfits were undertaken just days after Pakistan faced the heat at the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) and barely escaped from being blacklisted.
Pakistan faced the threat of getting blacklisted after FATF pointed out that it had neither investigated nor taken action against UN proscribed terrorists like Hafiz Saeed.
The spokesperson pointed out that Pakistan had failed to act against underworld don and terror mastermind Dawood Ibrahim who is accused of funding the 1993 Mumbai blasts that killed hundreds of Indians and foreigners.
“The location of Dawood Ibrahim is not a secret. We have asked repeatedly that he should be handed over. His imprint on the Mumbai blasts is very clear. In response, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson reiterated that Dawood is not in Pakistan.”
