‘Diplomatic isolation, effective measure for country sponsoring terrorism’: CDS Bipin Rawat veiled attack on Pakistan

New Delhi, January 16: Known for soiling terrorism in their homeland, Pakistan has rightly placed it upright as it safeguarded terrorists sheltering in the western nation. Standing up firm, India has every now and then placed facts signifying the neighbouring nations involvement in terror activities on the international forum. Moving on the same page, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, on Thursday, indirectly slammed Pakistan and said that any country which is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task. He added saying that terrorism will not end till the time there are countries which provide funding to it.

 

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in the national capital, Rawat said that diplomatic isolation and blacklisting under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) are some of the effective measures to put pressure on states sponsoring terrorism. He also batted for a US-like global war against terror. “We've to bring an end to terrorism and that can only happen the way Americans started after 9/11, they said let's go on a spree on the global war on terror. To do that you have to isolate the terrorists, anybody who is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task,” Rawat said. Further adding, he said, “Any country which is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task. I feel one of the measures adopted is of blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is one good measure. Diplomatic isolation, you have to do this.”

CDS Rawat's statement comes just days after Army Chief General MM Naravane warned of stern action against the neighbouring state for using terror as a state weapon against India. Addressing the Army Day parade on Thursday, Naravane had said, "(We have) zero tolerance towards terror, will respond in equal measure."

Naravane had also said that the Army was willing to take action to reclaim Pakistan occupied Kashmir if the government issued orders to that effect. Naravane's remark invited criticism from the Congress party which said that he should 'talk less and work more'. India has vehemently raised the issue of state-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan, on international forum. On January 20, a plenary meet of the FATF will review Pakistan's progress on curbing terror funding, and further decide on that country's removal from the grey list.