New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday gave a point blank response Dutch daily De Volkskrant when he was asked about Pakistan insisting that it did not know about any terrorist group operating within its territory, and gave a sharp reply in which he highlighted the country’s deep and intricate connection with terrorists.
Jaishankar is in the Netherlands to strengthen India’s bilateral relationship with Amsterdam. Notably, the Netherlands is India’s second-largest trading partner in the European Union. When he was asked about his December 2022 remark labelling Pakistan the ‘epicenter of terrorism’, he said, “I’m not suggesting it. I’m stating it.”
He explained his point, “Suppose there were military centers in the middle of Amsterdam, in which tens of thousands gather for military training. Would you say your government knows nothing about that? We should not go along with the narrative ‘Pakistan does not know what is going on’. The most notorious terrorists on the United Nations’ list are in Pak. 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 Pakistan is not involved. The state is involved. The army is up to its neck in it.”
Earlier, while speaking with Dutch broadcaster NOS, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said that conflict with Pakistan took place due to the ‘barbaric’ Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 and he said that Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s ‘extreme religious outlook’ drove the terrorists in perpetrating the heinous act. He echoed the same sentiment while speaking with De Volkskrant, and said that in the Pahalgam act, the terrorists “deliberately gave the attack a religious tint”. He said, “The world should not accept such practices.”
‘Kashmir issue and terrorism are separate’
MEA Jaishankar also said that terrorism and the Kashmir border issue are separate. He called terrorism a “completely unacceptable international crime that should not be condoned”. He further said, “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.”
Also, he downplayed the claims of US President Donald Trump that he played a role in the May 12 ceasefire that stopped the military conflict between India and Pakistan. While Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire, India has equally repeatedly said the US played no role. Jaishankar stressed on the fact that Kashmir is a bilateral issue, and only the countries involved will resolve it. “This is something we will do together with Pakistan,” he said. Also, he warned that even though there is ceasefire at present, “there will be consequences” in case “terrorist attacks from Pakistan continue.”
