No need of a dossier, entire world knows about Pakistan's role in terrorism: Vikas Swarup

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday raised the issue of Kashmir and accused India of human rights violations in the region during his address at the 71st UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

India reacted sharply on Thursday by declaring his speech as “non-factual”. Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar, who was at the UNGA, said  at a press conference, “We just heard a speech full of threat bluster and rising immaturity and complete disregard of facts.”

MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup too briefed the media on Thursday and denounced Sharif’s speech while referring to the global support that India is receiving since the Uri terror attack on 18 September against Pakistan.

Swarup said that the onus is now squarely on Pakistan to act against terrorist groups and those who find safe haven in the country. He called Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism.

While responding to a question about Pakistan being designated as a terrorist state by the US, he said that the Bill was introduced by two American lawmakers — Republican Ted Poe and Democrat Dana Rohrabacher — and India hopes that it will be treated with seriousness.

Surely it will be treated with the utmost seriousness: MEA on lawmakers move bill in U.S Congress to designate Pakistan as a terrorist state

— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2016

The Bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday to designate Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism.

Terrorism is being recognised as a larger regional concern because the international community is also suffering from Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Swarup added. “Terrorism is not just directed towards India now,” he said.

Referring to Sharif’s speech, he reminded everyone that almost 50 countries have spoken at the UNGA until now, but no one referred to the issue (Kashmir) that Sharif devoted 80 percent of his speech to. On the contrary, Swarup said that everyone talked about terrorism as a growing menace.

Sharif mentioned sending a dossier to the UN Secretary-General about the violence in Kashmir, but Swarup said that the handout given by Ban Ki-moon’s makes no mention of any dossier and has said that the issue needs to be resolved unilaterally.

India, however, does not need any dossier because the entire world is aware of Pakistan’s role in promoting terrorism.

We don't need a dossier, whole world is aware of Pakistan's role in promoting terror: Vikas Swarup,MEA pic.twitter.com/KXqLXeE8zs

— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2016

Swarup also refrained from answering if Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Islamabad for the Saarc summit.

Every question doesn't have a yes or no answer: Vikas Swarup,MEA on if PM Modi will visit Islamabad for SAARC summit

— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2016

India’s Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar had on Wednesday summoned Pakistan’s High Commissioner Abdul Basit for talks and according to Swarup, Basit was apprised of the Uri attack and the earlier attacks on the Indian soil as well.

He said that the demarche underlined that Uri was the latest, in a series of attack, that have emanated from Pakistan.

Swarup further advised Pakistan to act swiftly for their own interest. Jaishankar also shared details of the evidence found in the Uri attack with Basit.

He told Basit that if they want to investigate, India will fully assist Pakistan. However, Swarup made it clear that unlike the Pathankot attack, they did not offer Pakistan to send a team to India. Instead they are willing to share the finger prints of the terrorists with them so that they can check their database to ascertain that the terrorists belonged to Pakistan.

He also referred to Russia and said that there has been continuous communication between the MEA and its Russian counterparts and everyone knows Russia’s stand on terrorism.

With inputs from agencies