Houston: Hundreds of Indian-Americans here protested against Pakistan over the Pulwama terror attack and urged the global community to hold Islamabad accountable for ‘atrocities on minorities’ and ‘sponsoring terrorism’.
Around 300 Indian-origin people at prime locations here Saturday noon also voiced their dissent and accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorist groups. They termed the February 14 attack in Pulwama, as an attack on India’s sovereignty.
Protestors carried banners like – ‘Global Terrorist State – Pakistan’, ‘Pakistan – Stop using terrorism as your State Policy’, ‘Kashmir is Integral part of India – stop meddling’, ‘Down with Pakistan’ and ‘Pakistan an architect of genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs’. There was heavy sloganeering against Pakistan which protesters termed as a ‘terror hub’.
Earlier a press conference was held by Dr Veena Ambardar on behalf of Houston Chapter of Friends of India Society International and Houston Chapter of Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora, emphasizing that India has suffered for the last 30 years a constant barrage of terror manufactured in Pakistan and unloaded on Indian soil, killing thousands of Indians.
Addressing the press conference, Achalesh Amar, Coordinator of Houston Chapter of Friends of India Society International, highlighted the international ramifications of terror and role of Pakistan in exporting terror to the world and threatening the world civil society.
Amar stated how Osama bin Laden, an architect of 9/11, was found well protected in the garrison city of Pakistan. He said that the London bombings and shooting at San Bernardino, California had Pakistan connection.
Other speakers said that that the proxy war unleashed by Pakistan has cost India more than 6,000 of its security personnel besides heavy collateral damage. They accused Pakistan for the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus and Sikhs. “More than 4,00,000 members were ethnically cleansed and have been forced to live as refugees in India,” they said.
PTI
