Slamming Pakistan over its celebration of slain Kashmiri terrorist Burhan Wani as a “martyr“, home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday used the Saarc platform to denounce “glorification and patronisation of terrorism“ by any country . “One country's terrorist cannot be a freedom fighter for anyone... I also speak for the entire humanity , not just for India or other Saarc members, in urging that in no circumstances should terrorists be eulogised as martyrs,“ Singh said at the Saarc home ministers' conference. “Countries that provide support, encouragement, give sanctuary and safe haven and assistance to terrorists and terrorism must be isolated,“ he said, without naming Pakistan. “Moreover, the will and the mandate of the international community against proscribed and wanted terrorists and their organisations must also be respected and implemented,“ he added. “Immediate action is required against all those who support or encourage international terrorism, whether state actors or nonstate. Only then justice will be ensured for the victims of terrorist attacks such as in Mumbai and Pathankot,“ he said. This came after the Nawaz Sharif government declared Wani a “martyr“, and announcing that July 19 would be observed as a “black day to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir“.
Responding to Singh, Pakistan interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan slammed the use of “excessive force to suppress protests in Kashmir“, saying there was a difference between fighting for freedom and terrorism.“Brute force against children and torture of civilians qualifies as terrorism,“ Nisar said, adding, “It's important to respect the fundamental human rights of people and not suppress freedom struggle in the name of fight against terrorism.“ Khan said there was need to end the extremist mindset and solve regional issues through dialogue.
A reflection of tension was evident in the morning when Singh and Khan met outside the conference hall at the hotel. Their frosty greeting was palpable as they barely touched each others' hands.
Singh, who was back in India by 4.30 pm, appreciated support of all Saarc members to India's proposal to host the second meeting of experts to strengthen the group's anti-terror mechanism on September 22 and 23 in New Delhi.
The government described as “misleading“ media reports that Union home minister Rajnath Singh's address at a Saarc ministerial meet in Islamabad on Thursday had been blacked out. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “It is the standard Saarc practice that the opening statement by the host country is public and open to the media while the rest of the proceedings are in camera.“
Relations between India and Pakistan touched a new low as home minister Rajnath Singh left for New Delhi in a huff after giving a curt message to Pakistan at the 7th SAARC interior ministers’ meet in Islamabad.
After landing in New Delhi, Rajnath straight away called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him about developments in Islamabad. Rajnath is expected to make a statement on his Islamabad visit in the Parliament on Friday.
At the SAARC meeting, making a direct jibe at Pakistan for eulogising slain Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani, Rajnath said, “It also needs to be ensured that terrorism is not glorified and is not patronised by any state. One country’s terrorist cannot be a martyr or freedom fighter for anyone. There should be no glorification or eulogising of terrorists as martyrs.”
Making still stiffer remarks, Rajnath called for “strongest action not only against terrorists or organisations but also against those individuals, organisations and nations.”
“Those who provide support, encouragement, sanctuary, safe haven or any assistance to terrorism or terrorists must be isolated. Strongest possible steps need to be taken not only against terrorists and terrorist organisations but also those individuals, institutions, organisations or nations that support them,” Rajnath said.
This, apparently, has been India’s most strong and direct attack against Pakistan at the SAARC summit. At previous meets, sources said, India had raised concerns regarding Pak-sponsored terrorism, but in a subtler manner.
With Pakistan interior minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan lambasting India on the “use of excessive force and torture against innocent children and civilians” and equating it with terrorism, the summit, meant to encourage cooperation between eight south Asian countries, virtually turned into a slanging match between the two countries.
So high were the tensions that Singh, sources said, left without having lunch and did not wait even for formal closure of the SAARC meeting.
In his opening remarks, Nisar picked on India for “using torture against innocent children and violence against civilians” and qualified it as “terrorism”. Without naming India, Nisar added that there was a need to end an “extremist” mindset and instead try to solve regional issues with dialogue.
“The use of blame game has not benefited anyone for the past six decades,” said Nisar.
The tension was palpable on Rajnath’s arrival in Islamabad. He was accorded presidential-level security because of high threat perception and was flown to the SAARC venue in a helicopter. Sources present at the venue said even the exchange of pleasantries between Rajnath and Nisar was stiff when they came face to face.
Pakistan even kept the thin team of Indian media away from the SAARC venue.
Trying to play down the livid atmosphere, the external affairs ministry said in a statement that “media reports of a ‘blackout’ of our home minister’s statement are misleading. It is the standard SAARC practice that the opening statement by the host country is public and open to the media while the rest of the proceedings are in camera, which allows for a full and frank discussion of issues.”
However, ANI’s Smita Prakash who went to cover the meet contradicted MEA’s statement in a series of tweets. “#ShowdownAtSAARC | I stand by my position that Rajnath’s SAARC speech was blacked out by Pakistan: @smitaprakash, Editor, ANI” she tweeted.
Sources also said there were heated arguments between Indian high commission officials and Pakistani officials on giving entry to the Indian media.
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