New Delhi: In a major diplomatic offensive against Islamabad after the Pulwama terror attack, India held a briefing for envoys of 25 countries, including from P5 nations – US, China, Russia, the UK and France – during which it highlighted Pakistan’s role in using terrorism as an instrument of state policy and withdrew the Most Favoured Nation (MFB) status to Pakistan.
Before the briefing, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood to his South Block office and issued a very strong demarche over the attack in which at least 45 CRPF personnel were killed in Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
On the other hand, in a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan on Friday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner here and lodged a protest against India’s allegation of its role in the brutal Pulwama terrorist attack.
Pakistan must take “immediate and verifiable action” against the JeM and that it must immediately stop any groups or individuals associated with terrorism operating from its territories, Gokhale told the envoy.
Hours after vowing to isolate Pakistan diplomatically, the government undertook the exercise of reaching out to the international community, most of which has univocally condemned the attack by the UN-proscribed Pakistan-based JeM terror outfit. China expressed deep “shock” over the Pulwama terror attack carried out by a Jaish suicide bomber, but did not give an assurance to India that it will back New Delhi’s appeal to list the UN-proscribed Pakistan-based terror group’s chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.
Apart from the envoys of the P5, Gokhale met the envoys of key countries in Europe and Asia such as Germany, South Korea, Japan, as well as Australia, they said.
“All the Heads of Missions were left in no doubt about the role played by Pakistan based and supported JeM in the terrorist attack and our demand that Pakistan ceases forthwith all support and financing to terror groups operating from areas under their control. The foreign secretary also highlighted the role played by Pakistan in using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy,” a source said.
Oppn stands with govt: Rahul
New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday described the Pulwama terror assault as an attack on India’s soul and said his party as well as the entire opposition was fully supportive of the government and the security forces. No amount of hatred or anger can do anything to the love and affection that India is built on, Gandhi said at a press conference along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and A K Antony. “This is a terrible tragedy. This type of violence done against the most important Indians, our soldiers, is absolutely disgusting. I want to make it very clear that the aim of terrorism is to divide this country and we are not going to be divided for even one second, no matter how hard people try,” he said.
‘Azhar not a global terrorist’
Beijing: China Friday expressed deep “shock” over the Pulwama terror attack carried out by a Jaish suicide bomber but did not give an assurance to India that it will back New Delhi’s appeal to list the UN-proscribed Pakistan-based terror group’s chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. “China has noted the reports of suicide terrorist attack. We are deeply shocked by this attack. We express deep condolences and sympathy to the injured and bereaved families,” spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang told a media briefing here when asked about the incident. In a carefully worded response to a number of questions on the Pulwama incident, Geng said China condemned the incident as part of its overall stand on terrorism.
