India blasts Pak, says UN must focus on eliminating terror safe havens

United Nations, Jan 20: India has blasted Pakistan for its "mindsets" vis-a-vis terror and urged the United Nations to focus on eliminating terrorist safe havens in Pakistan. 

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's good gesture visits to Lahore in December 25 and the manner this was reciprocated by Pakistani elements in Pathankot, Indian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin told the UN Security Council during a special ministerial meeting on Afghanistan that "....support for voices of peace in Afghanistan alone is not enough. We must focus on addressing the challenges posed by cross border terrorism emanating from safe havens and sanctuaries to our region and especially to Afghanistan". 
He said it was "unfortunate" that the visit of Mr Modi was "followed by a heinous and barbaric terrorist attack on the Pathankot airbase on January 1, 2016, perpetrated and planned by the very same mindsets which attack the spirit of Afghanistan every day". 
“These mind sets differentiate between good and bad terrorists. These mindsets refuse to see reason in peace," he said adding they are mindsets that are "reluctant to join hands in moving the region forward to build a shared future for our people and our youth". 
These mindsets "need to change,” Mr Akbaruddin underlined.
“There is a common Afghan saying that roughly translates as “If water is muddied downstream, don’t waste your time filtering it; better to go upstream to clean it,” he said trying to make a cause of a more firmer and assertive stance against the 'safe heavens' of terror.
“If we do so, the decay, which has been inflicted on Afghanistan, can be made reversible,” he maintained. 
The envoy at UN said that it is India's vision that Afghanistan regain its place and New Delhi remain committed to work closely with its regional and international partners to bring peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.
“It is with this in mind that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Afghanistan on December 24, 2015 to inaugurate the Parliament building, stopped over in Lahore, Pakistan,” he said adding "Unfortunately, these visits were followed by a heinous and barbaric terrorist attack".
Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah was on Friday summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs here.
Official sources said Mr Shah was conveyed the Government's grave concerns at the continued ceasefire violations and deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by Pakistan forces. UNI