Pulwama Attack: India slams Pakistan for “giving full freedom” to JeM to operate and expand

MEA said that Masood Azhar who leads JeM has been given full freedom by Government of Pakistan to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under the control of Pakistan and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj/ Image: PTI

New Delhi: The Government of India condemned in the strongest possible terms the Pulwama terror assault, which is the deadliest strike after the Uri attack of 2016, and has slammed Pakistan for the attack on CRPF convoy, asking it to stop supporting terrorist operating from its territory. “The Government of India condemns in the strongest possible terms cowardly terrorist attack on our brave security forces in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir earlier today (14 February 2019),” Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. Lashing out at Pakistan for providing launch pads to terrorists the ministry stated: “ This heinous and despicable act has been perpetrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based and supported terrorist organisation proscribed by the United Nations and other countries.” The Ministry said that Masood Azhar who leads JeM has been given full freedom by Government of Pakistan to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under the control of Pakistan and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity. Reiterating India’s against terrorism, the ministry said that the Government of India is firmly and resolutely committed to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security and is equally resolved to fight against the menace of terrorism. “We demand that Pakistan stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory and dismantle the infrastructure operated by terrorist outfits to launch attacks in other countries” the press statement by the ministry read. India has called upon the members of the international community to support the proposal to list terrorists, including JeM Chief Masood Azhar, as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council and to ban terrorist organisations operating from territories controlled by Pakistan. The ministry expressed condolence to the family members of the martyred soldiers, in its statement. On Thursday afternoon, in a suicide attack claimed by JeM, 39 CRPF troopers were killed after a van laden with explosives rammed into a bus of CRPF convoy.