China gives Modi ‘shut up’ call

ISLAMABAD: A day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi dubbed Pakistan the “mothership of terrorism” at the BRICS Summit in Goa, China on Monday gave him a shut-up call saying that Pakistan had given huge sacrifices to contain terrorism and the international community should respect this.

Defending Pakistan against Modi’s criticism of Pakistan, Beijing said it was opposed to linking terrorism with any specific religion or community.“We oppose linking terrorism with any specific ethnicity or religion. This is our long-standing position. China and Pakistan are all-weather friends,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the media here.

“Everyone knows that India and Pakistan are victims of terrorism. Pakistan has made huge efforts and great sacrifices in fighting terrorism. I think the international community should respect this,” she added.

She said China maintained a consistent position on terrorism and believed that India and Pakistan should resolve their disputes amicably, as this would also serve the interests of the whole region.

To another question about Modi’s criticism that Pakistan continued to support the anti-India terrorist groups giving them arms, financial support and helping them to cross the border to carry out attacks in India and whether it was China’s view that the international community should not take a stand on Islamabad’s support to terrorists, Ms. Hua said: “I understand your concern.”

Meanwhile, miffed at Modi’s frantic attempts to isolate Pakistan diplomatically, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz said: “Mr. Modi is misleading his BRICS and BIMSTEC colleagues.

“The Indian leadership is desperately trying to hide its brutalities in the Held Kashmir — an internationally-recognized dispute on the UN agenda, where innocent people are being killed and injured by the occupation forces daily with impunity,” he said.

“Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism are well-acknowledged and repeatedly appreciated by the leadership of most countries in the world,” he said.He pointed out that the Indian-state sponsored terrorism and terror financing in Pakistan had proven irrefutably.

“India has no moral ground to even talk about counter-terrorism efforts let alone do the finger pointing. Pakistan is a victim of Indian interference and subversive activities, which are aimed at destabilising it.”

He instead called upon the international community, especially the BRICS leaders, to ask India to stop the bloodshed of Kashmiris immediately, release the Kashmiri leaders and thousands of Kashmiris taken away forcibly with their fate unknown and address the humanitarian crisis caused by India through shortage of basic amenities.

“Pakistan further demands that the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in the IHK should be held accountable and the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir be implemented sooner than later,” he added.