External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday ripped into Pakistan over its role in sponsoring and spreading terrorism and advised Islamabad to clean up its act and try to be a good neighbour.
When asked by a Pakistani journalist on how long South Asia is going to see terrorism disseminating from New Delhi, Kabul and Pakistan, Jaishankar said, “You know, you're asking the wrong minister when you say how long will we do this? Because it is the ministers of Pakistan who will tell you how long Pakistan intends to practice terrorism.”
“At the end of the day, the world is not stupid, the world is not forgetful. And the world does increasingly call out countries and organisations and people who indulge in terrorism," he said.
“By taking that debate elsewhere, you are not going to hide it. You're not going to confuse anybody anymore. People have figured it out. So, my advice is please clean up your act. Please try to be a good neighbour. Please try and contribute to what the rest of the world is trying to do today, which is economic growth, progress, development,” Jaishankar said. "I hope through your channel that message goes."
During a media stakeout at the UN, Jaishankar said the world today sees Pakistan as the epicenter of terrorism who has its fingerprints over a lot of terrorist activities.
"I know we have been through two and half years of COVID and a lot of us have brain fog as a result. I can assure the world has not forgotten ...that who has their fingerprints over a lot of activities in the region and beyond the region," he added.
External Affairs Minister's sharp criticisms came in the backdrop of a remark made by Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar accusing India of destabilising Pakistan using terrorism.
In response, Jaishankar said, "I read the reports on what Hina Rabbani Khar said. I was reminded, more than a decade ago, Hillary Clinton was visiting Islamabad. Hina Rabbani Khar was the minister at that time. Standing next to her, Hillary Clinton said ...if you have a snake in the backyard you cannot expect it to bite only your neighbour, eventually, it will bite the people who keep them in the backyard."
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