FO rejects ‘baseless propaganda’ against Pakistan by Indian leadership regarding terror financing

Published November 21, 2022
A photo combo showing Indian prime minister Narendra Modi (L), Home Minister Amit Shah (2L) and external affairs minister S Jaishankar (R).
A photo combo showing Indian prime minister Narendra Modi (L), Home Minister Amit Shah (2L) and external affairs minister S Jaishankar (R).

Foreign Office (FO) on Monday firmly rejected “all references and insinuations” made against Pakistan by Indian leaders last week regarding terror financing.

The remarks were made by three India leaders — including prime minister Narendra Modi — at the “No Money for Terror” conference hosted in New Delhi, which was attended by representatives of 72 countries.

Modi claimed that certain countries support terrorists as part of their foreign policy by offering “political, ideological and financial support to them” — a statement the Indian media portrayed to be about Pakistan.

The Indian external affairs minister, S Jaishankar alleged that there was “cross-border support” behind terrorist attacks through various terrorist groups.

He claimed that groups such as “Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad or Harkatul Mujahideen and their proxies thrive on assured financial support to commit barbaric acts of terror on Indian soil”.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that strict economic crackdown should be launched against “terror haven” countries whose governments have made terrorism their state policy — a statement termed by Indian media as a “veiled attack” on Pakistan.

The FO rebutted the “baseless propaganda” from the Indian side by mentioning its removal this October from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list.

It also called out India for its “relentless terror campaign in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK)” where “security forces terrorise, torment and torture innocent Kashmiris with impunity, every day”.

Citing the acquittal of various criminals by the Indian courts — including the main suspect of the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast that killed 43 Pakistanis and 11 convicts of the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case during the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat — the FO castigated India for “harbouring and protecting terrorists”.

It also accused India of deliberately withholding “witnesses and credible evidence from Pakistani courts” during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks trial despite repeated requests over the last fourteen years.

Furthermore, the FO mentioned Indian Naval commander Kulbhushan Yadav as “undeniable proof of India’s direct involvement in sabotage and terror”.

It urged the international community to “hold India accountable for its actions in IIOJK, its patronage of terrorist entities and for fomenting terror in neighbouring countries”.

Opinion

Who bears the cost?

Who bears the cost?

This small window of low inflation should compel a rethink of how the authorities and employers understand the average household’s

Editorial

Internet restrictions
Updated 23 Dec, 2024

Internet restrictions

Notion that Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression difficult to reconcile with the reality of restrictions.
Bangladesh reset
23 Dec, 2024

Bangladesh reset

THE vibes were positive during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with Bangladesh interim leader Dr...
Leaving home
23 Dec, 2024

Leaving home

FROM asylum seekers to economic migrants, the continuing exodus from Pakistan shows mass disillusionment with the...
Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...