Pakistan-based terror groups not named in BRICS declaration; LeT, JeM had been mentioned in statement last year

The BRICS Johannesburg Declaration did not have any reference to terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad, a year after the Pakistan-based terror groups were named for the first time in the BRICS declaration in Xiamen. The naming of LeT and JeM in the BRICS declaration last year had been seen as a diplomatic achievement for India. Thus, the absence of the same names in the declaration this year raises eyebrows. However, sources told The Indian Express that once a formulation has been mentioned in a declaration, “it is already a part of record”. [caption id=“attachment_4833501” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] (From left) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China’s president Xi Jinping, South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and Brazil’s president Michel Temer. Reuters[/caption] The BRICS nations, in the statement, have also called for a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, which should include countering radicalisation and blocking channels of terrorist financing, reported PTI. “We call upon all nations to adopt a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, which should include countering radicalisation, recruitment, travel of foreign terrorist fighters, blocking sources and channels of terrorist financing including, for instance, through organised crime by means of money-laundering, supply of weapons, drug trafficking and other criminal activities, dismantling terrorist bases, and countering misuse of the internet” by them, said the declaration. It also deplored the continued terrorist attacks, including in some BRICS member states, and condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever. “We urge concerted efforts to counter terrorism under the UN auspices on a firm international legal basis and express our conviction that a comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure an effective fight against terrorism. We recall the responsibility of all states to prevent financing of terrorist networks and terrorist actions from their territories,” it said. It called upon the international community to establish a genuinely broad international counter-terrorism coalition and support the UN’s central coordinating role on the issue. The bloc said the fight against terrorism must be conducted in accordance with international law and reaffirmed its commitment on increasing the effectiveness of the UN counter-terrorism framework, including in the areas of cooperation and coordination among the relevant UN entities, designation of terrorists and terrorist groups and technical assistance to Member States. It called for expeditious finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) by the UN General Assembly. On the other hand, last year, the 43-page Xiamen Declaration had expressed “concern” over the security situation in Afghanistan and the violence caused by the Taliban, Islamic State, al-Qaeda and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Hizb ut-Tahrir. The inclusion of Pakistan-based terror groups in the Xiamen declaration had also been seen as an indication of a slight shift in the Chinese view towards terror groups operating out of Pakistan. In fact, during the 2016 BRICS summit in Goa, China had not allowed inclusion of Pakistan-based terror groups in the declaration, despite the fact that the summit was taking place within weeks of the Uri terror strike carried out by a Pakistan-based militant group. With inputs from PTI