Pak wonders at India’s jubilation over BRICS naming Pak-based terror networks

Islamabad, Sep 5: Pakistan has wondered at India’s celebrations over BRICS naming the alleged Pakistan-based terror networks that were already on country’s list of banned outfits. Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the annual summit of BRICS leaders with an aim to underline Beijing's claim to developing-world leadership. The member states — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — gathered in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen hoping to counter accusations the grouping was becoming irrelevant. The summit, which called for reform of the United Nations and tougher measures against terrorist groups, however was upstaged by North Korea's latest nuclear test – with all participants condemning it and expressing serious concern over the tense situation in and around the Korean peninsula. Importantly, the Xiamen Declaration -- issued after the moot -- deplored "all terrorist attacks worldwide" and condemned terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever and stress that there can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism". "We express concern on the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, the Islamic State, Al Qaeda and its affiliates, including the Haqqani Network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Hizbut Tahrir," it added. According to a report in "The Nation" today, the statement said nations should unite to fight the groups in accordance with the principles of international law, but emphasised the importance of not interfering in the sovereign affairs of individual states. It said the Indian officials and media tried to sell mention of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) among the terrorists groups as a diplomatic defeat for Pakistan, ignoring the fact that Islamabad regards these groups anti-peace entities and had declared them proscribed organizations years ago. India has been blaming these two organisations for a number of terrorists activities committed over years on its territory and asking Pakistan to clamp down on them - claiming that both the organistions were based in Pakistan and operating with unannounced support from its security establishment – a charge denied by Islamabad. As for the Haqqani network, the Pakistan Armed forced have already uprooted this militant organisation from its tribal territory along the Afghanistan border in massive operations launched against terrorist groups of all hue and colour. Senior officials at the Foreign Ministry told "The Nation" that Pakistan was not shocked reading the BRICS Summit’s statement as Islamabad had already banned those networks for direct or indirect involvement in terrorism. “India is unnecessarily celebrating. There is nothing to celebrate. Their attempts to discredit Pakistan will fail,” said a senior official at the Foreign Ministry. He said that Beijing had assured Pakistan that it would never support India against Pakistan. “India cannot take away China from us. We have talked and they [China] remain committed to support[ing] us,” the official added. UNI