New Delhi:
India has ripped into Pakistan for its continued support of cross-border terrorism, pointing to ‘state funerals’ for three individuals – whom Indian intel had identified as terrorists but the Pak government has insisted were civilians – among the over 100 terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor.
In an extensive briefing Thursday evening, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri remarked that if Islamabad’s statements were, indeed, true, “it is odd that funerals of civilians are being carried out by coffins wrapped in their national flag… and state honours are being awarded”.
“As far as we are concerned… the individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists. Giving terrorists ‘state funerals’ may be a practice in Pakistan. But it doesn’t make much sense to us.”
A report by news agency PTI said three men – Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid, and Mudassir – had been awarded ‘state funerals’ that were attended by members of the Pakistan Army.
All three were part of a banned group, the Jamaat-ud-Dawah led by terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
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The funerals, PTI said, were held in Muridke, which was one of the locations targeted by Indian forces in Operation Sindoor; Muridke, in Pak’s Punjab province, was the base of another banned terrorist group, the Lashkar-e-Taiba and intel said the Pahalgam terrorists were trained here.
‘Centre Of Global Terrorism’
Mr Misri also made several sharp comments about Pakistan’s ‘reputation as a centre of global terrorism’, including calling it out for refusing to acknowledge The Resistance Front – the Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy that twice claimed responsibility the Pahalgam attack – as a terrorist organisation.
The Foreign Secretary said the refusal to accept the role of the TRF in the Pahalgam attack, despite evidence to the contrary, meant Pakistan had been “exposed” in front of the world.
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He was referring to a ‘closed-door consultation’ United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, in which Pakistan was asked several searching questions about the role of Lashkar in the Pahalgam attack.
“This was after the TRF claimed responsibility for Pahalgam not once but twice…” he said.
Sources had earlier India has proof the Pak deep state was involved in planning and executing the Pahalgam attack, as well as others around the world, including the bombings in London in 2005.
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The Foreign Secretary said Pakistan’s ‘stalling game’ at the UN were an attempt to buy time to cover its tracks, and India could no longer take at face value any statement about combating cross-border terror.
‘Who Called bin Laden A Martyr’?
Mr Misri also pointed out that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden – who masterminded the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Towers in New York – had been tracked to a compound in Pakistan’s Abbottabad, where a United States special force team captured and killed him.
“I don’t need to remind anyone where bin Laden was found and who called him a martyr…” he said, referring to comments by former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said ‘… we Pakistanis were embarrassed when the Americans came into Abbottabad and killed Osama bin Laden… martyred him‘.
The Foreign Secretary’s scathing remarks were significant given Pak’s insistence it had nothing to do with Pahalgam. Pakistan has called for an ‘international and independent’ inquiry and also called non-military measures – the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty in particular – “an act of war”.
Pak Targets Indian Military
The Thursday evening briefing came hours after the Defence Ministry confirmed Pak forces had fired missiles at Indian military establishments in 15 cities. Indian forces responded by targeting and neutralising Pakistani Air Defence Radars in several locations, including Lahore, the ministry said.
READ | India Neutralises Pak Missiles At 15 Cities, Destroys Air Defence System
These actions by Pakistan have been seen as a second escalation – counting the Pahalgam attack as the first – against India, Mr Misri said, underlining India’s intention is not to escalate matters. He said India made it clear after Operation Sindoor that no Pak military establishments had been targeted.
“Only terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan had been hit,” he said.
Earlier Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said Sindoor remains an active military operation depending on Pakistan’s reaction. India does not want an escalation but hit back if Pak strikes, he said.
With input from agencies
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