Pakistan rejects India's remarks at 'No Money for Terror' meeting

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan strongly rejected the "baseless propaganda and irresponsible remarks" by the Indian leadership directed against it at the so-called "No Money for Terror" Ministerial meeting held in New Delhi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday. 

The statement issued by the Foreign Office said that India — guided by its incorrigible and incurable desire to malign Pakistan at every available forum — continues to mislead the world about Pakistan’s counter-terrorism credentials. 

It repeatedly levels false accusations of Islamabad's alleged involvement in the financing of proscribed terrorist organisations, said the statement. 

The Foreign Office said India’s hollow rhetoric has fallen flat in the face of Pakistan’s successful counter-terrorism measures, which have been accorded due recognition and acknowledgement from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

It mentioned that Pakistan's robust and credible AML and CFT actions, and satisfactory implementation of FATF action plans duly secured the country's successful removal of the Grey List this October.

Regrettably, the Foreign Office mentioned that India is continuing its relentless terror campaign in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

There is no justification for India’s state-sponsored terrorism in IIOJK, where its security forces terrorise, torment and torture innocent Kashmiris with impunity, every day, the statement said.

"Most deplorably, India has been harbouring and protecting terrorists for decades. In 2019, it acquitted Swami Aseemanand, the main character of the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast that killed 43 Pakistani citizens on Indian soil."

Earlier this year, the Indian courts released 11 convicts of the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case during the 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat, the Foreign Office noted.

Similarly, during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks trial, India deliberately withheld witnesses and credible evidence from Pakistani courts, despite repeated requests over the last 14 years, only to drag and perpetuate the case to serve its sinister political agenda, it added.

India’s involvement in inciting terrorism inside Pakistan is widely established and documented, the Foreign Office noted.

It added that in November 2020, Pakistan released a comprehensive dossier providing evidence of India’s involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan.

"The convicted, serving, Indian Naval commander Kulbhushan Yadav is undeniable proof of India’s direct involvement in sabotage and terror. Indian links to TTP and other elements inimical to Pakistan inside Afghanistan are also well known."

The Foreign Office then urged the international community to hold India accountable for its actions in IIOJK, its patronage of terrorist entities, and for fomenting terror in neighbouring countries.

India is also advised to immediately reform and rectify its credentials on terrorism and desist from shamelessly levelling false accusations against Pakistan for selfish political interests, the Foreign Office added.

In his remarks aimed at Pakistan and China, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said last week that while some countries support terrorism “as part of their foreign policy”, others do so by “blocking action against terrorists,” reported The Indian Express.

"Sometimes, there are indirect arguments made in support of terrorism to block action against terrorists. There is no place for an ambiguous approach while dealing with a global threat. It is an attack on humanity, freedom and civilisation," he claimed.