India on Thursday squarely pointed fingers at Islamabad over the Pulwama terror attack, orchestrated by Pakistan-based “and supported” Jaish-e-Mohammed, and declared that the government is “firmly and resolutely committed to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security”, even as it demanded that Pakistan stop supporting terrorists operating from its territory.
In a strongly worded statement, the Ministry of External Affairs also reiterated India’s appeal to the international community to support its proposal to list all terrorists, including JeM chief Masood Azhar, as a designated terrorist and to ban terrorist organisations operating from “territories controlled by Pakistan”.
The statement read: “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.
“This terror group is led by the international terrorist Masood Azhar, who 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.
“The Government of India is firmly and resolutely committed to take all necessary measures to safeguard national security. We are 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.
“We strongly reiterate our appeal to all 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.
“We express our sincere condolences to the family members of our fearless security personnel who have made the supreme sacrifice."
At least 40 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday when a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in, one of the worst terror strikes in the state in recent years, officials said.
More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora.
Police said the terrorist driving the suicide vehicle was Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama who joined the JeM in 2018.
