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Jaishankar's veiled jab at Pakistan: ‘Perpetrators, facilitators, financers and sponsors of terrorism…’
“The UN-designated terror outfits are still functioning in the region,” Jaishankar said in a veiled reference to Pakistan
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday took a veiled jibe at Pakistan, saying that the perpetrators, facilitators, financiers and sponsors of terrorism needed to be identified and punished.
“The fight against the three evils -- terrorism, separatism and extremism -- is a priority in SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation),” the minister was quoted by PTI as saying during an interview with Astana-based Kazinform News.
Jaishankar had led the Indian delegation to the 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.
The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan are its permanent members since 2017.
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“There is no doubt that the major challenge faced by the world today is terrorism. It has become a threat to regional and global peace, and it demands urgent action from all of us,” he said.
“Combating terrorism requires a very comprehensive approach - not just the perpetrators of heinous acts of terrorism, but the facilitators, financiers and sponsors of terrorism - they all need to be identified and punished,” the minister added.
Jaishankar said he strongly believes that the SCO through the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) has a “reasonable standing” to propose measures against terrorism in the region.
Referring to terrorists receiving state support from Pakistan, Jaishankar had said,"Today, after decades of taking measures against terrorism in global forums, including through the UN Security Council, terrorism continues to be a threat to the region. The UN-designated terror outfits are still functioning in the region."
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Astana Summit Declaration
After the summit, the Astana Declaration stated,"The Member States are unanimous in recognising the need to improve SCO mechanisms to counter security challenges and threats and expand specialised cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as drug trafficking, arms smuggling and other types of transnational organized crime.”
(With PTI inputs)
