The Hague/New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that Pakistan must understand the fact very well that while India wants an end to terrorism, there will be consequences if the terrorist attacks continue.
In an interview to the NOS News, he said: “We want a definitive end to terrorism. Our message is therefore: yes, the ceasefire has put an end to military actions against each other for now, but if the terrorist attacks from Pakistan continue, there will be consequences. The Pakistanis must understand that very well.”
PM Modi was supposed to visit the Netherlands this week to strengthen Indian-Dutch ties, but he cancelled the visit due to the escalating tensions with Pakistan. EAM visited the Netherlands to prepare for PM Modi’s visit later this year.
The issue of Dutch arms supplies to Pakistan was raised during Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans’s visit to Delhi in March by his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.
On India stating that terrorist groups active in Pakistan receive support from the Pakistani state, EAM Jaishankar said:
“I am not suggesting that, I am stating that. Suppose that there were large military centres in the middle of a city like Amsterdam where tens of thousands of people gathered for military training, would you say that your government knows nothing about that? Of course not.”
“We should not go along with the narrative that Pakistan does not know what is going on. The most notorious terrorists on the United Nations (UN) sanctions list are all in Pakistan. They operate in the big cities, in broad daylight. Their addresses are known. Their activities are known. Their mutual contacts are known. So let’s not pretend that Pakistan is not involved. The state is involved. The army is up to its neck in it.”
Asked if the Kashmir issue should be resolved first in order to be able to combat terrorism, he said:
“No, for us terrorism is an independent, completely unacceptable international crime that should not be condoned or justified.
“The terrorists targeted the vibrant tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir with their attack. So they are prepared to destroy things in Kashmir for their own, very limited, selfish purposes. They also deliberately gave the attack a very religious tint. The world should not accept such practices.
“As for Jammu and Kashmir, it is a historical fact that it joined India when India and Pakistan separated in 1947. Our position is that the illegal occupiers should return their illegally occupied parts to the rightful owner. And that is us.”
Asked if the international community could mediate on the Kashmir issue, he said:
“No, it is a bilateral issue between the countries involved.”
On if India is not going to accept US President Trump’s offer to mediate, he said:
“As I said, this is something we will do together with Pakistan.”
UNI
