Jaishankar criticises nations that use terror as a ‘tool of statecraft’

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday took a swipe at Pakistan and China over their position in combating terrorism and outlined practical steps to be taken by countries, including sharing of real-time information, to counter terrorists.

Addressing a session on promoting international cooperation against terror financing at the “No Money For Terror” ministerial conference hosted by India, Jaishankar – without naming Pakistan or China – criticised countries that use terror as a “tool of statecraft” or fail to “rise above political divides” to address the threat posed by terrorism.

India has for long accused Pakistan’s establishment of backing and sheltering terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-taiba (LET) and Jaish-e-mohammed (JEM) that have carried out cross-border attacks.

China’s blocking of joint

India-us efforts to sanction Pakistan-based terrorists at the UN Security Council has emerged as a fresh irritant in the already troubled relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

Jaishankar emphasised that perpetrators, facilitators and financiers of terror attacks “continue to walk free, enjoy state support and hospitality”, and the “most egregious example we all know pertains to the 2008 Mumbai terror attack”.