“Pakistan’s support for terrorism and cross-border attacks is well known”: MEA on Pak army chief’s visit to US

New Delhi [India]: India on Thursday reiterated that the country faces severe threats of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan and expressed hope that other nations will also take counter-terrorism seriously in the backdrop of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir’s visit to the US.

While addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Yes, we did see some reports in this regard about these meetings. Our concern about Pakistan’s support for terrorism and cross-border attacks is well known. We hope other countries also take counter-terrorism seriously,” on being asked about Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir’s meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other State Department officials in Washington.

Earlier this month, General Asim Munir held a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington to discuss regional security, defence cooperation and other key issues, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

He also met US acting Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer, according to the Dawn report.

During his visit to the US, General Asim Munir met US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. The two sides discussed regional security developments and potential areas for bilateral defence cooperation.

Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder in the readout of the meeting said, “Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III hosted Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir at the Pentagon today, where the two officials discussed recent regional security developments and potential areas for bilateral defense cooperation.”

Earlier in September, India hit out at Pakistan after the country’s caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaarul Haq Kakar, predictably raised the Kashmir bogey in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

In its right of reply, the First Secretary of the United Nations for the Second Committee of UNGA, Petal Gahlot said that Pakistan should vacate occupied areas of India and stop cross-border terrorism. She asked Pakistan to stop human rights violations against minorities in Pakistan.

Petal Gahlot said, “In order for there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pakistan needs to take are threefold: first, stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under their illegal and forcible occupation. And third, stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan.”

Calling Pakistan home to the largest number of internationally proscribed terrorist entities, Gahlot urged Pakistan to take “credible and verifiable action” against perpetrators of the 2011 Mumbai terror attack.

“Pakistan has been the home and patron of the largest number of internationally proscribed terrorist entities and individuals in the world. Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we call upon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, whose victims await justice even after 15 years,” Petal Gahlot said.

Notably, in June, India and the US called on Pakistan to act against perpetrators of cross-border terrorism.

In a joint statement issued by the White House after talks between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a state visit to Washington, the two sides “strongly condemned cross-border terrorism and the use of terrorist proxies.”

The statement called on Pakistan “to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks.”

Calling on Pakistan to bring to justice those responsible for the Mumbai and Pathankot attacks in India, the White House statement said both sides reiterated the call for “concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh [also known as the Islamic State, IS and ISIL], Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul-Mujahideen.”