New Delhi: During a media stakeout at the UNSC briefing after the briefing at the UN in New York, India's external affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar gave a befitting reply to a Pakistani reporter who asked him about terrorism in the South Asia region.
In response to a question as to How long South Asia will see terrorism from New Delhi, Kabul, and Pakistan, how long they will be at war, Jaishankar said, “You are asking the wrong minister. It is the minister 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, organizations, and people who indulge in terrorism, and by taking the debate elsewhere, you are not going to hide it. You are not going to confuse anybody anymore", he said.
The remarks by EAM came while he was interacting with reporters at the UN Security Council stakeout after chairing a signature event held under India's presidency of the Council on 'Global Counterterrorism Approach: Challenges and Way Forward. Further, Jaishankar noted that the world sees Pakistan as the epicenter of terrorism while reiterating that the international community has not forgotten where the menace stems from, despite the brain fog induced by over two years of Covid-19.
Hitting out at Pakistan's MoS Hina Rabbani Khar for linking India with the Lahore blast, Jaishankar said, "I know we have been through two and a half years of Covid and a lot of us have brain fog as a result. But I assure you the world has not forgotten where terrorism emanates from, who has their fingerprints over a lot of activities in the region and beyond the region."
He went on to recall Hillary Clinton's advice to Minister Khar that, 'snakes in your backyard won't bite only neighbours'. EAM further highlighted that Pakistan is not great at taking good advice. "So, I would say that it's something which they should remind themselves before indulging in the kind of fantasies which they do," added Jaishankar.
