Pakistan’s record on terrorism is “very clear” and the Pahalgam attack is only the recent example of cross-border terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal’s remarks at his weekly media briefing here came in response to a query on the recent comments made by a top US general on Washington’s ties with New Delhi and with Islamabad.
“We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can’t have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,” US Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), had said.
“We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has,” the US general said during a testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee. Briefing the media here, Jaiswal said, “The record of Pakistan, of what Pakistan is, is very clear”.
“We all know the Pahalgam attack is only the recent example of cross-border terrorism. I would remind you that only recently one of the conspirators of the 26/11 attack, Tahawwur Rana was extradited from the United States to India.
“Obviously, none of us have forgotten that Pakistan gave shelter to Osama bin Laden. It is significant that the person, and you would be aware, Dr Shakil Afridi, who helped locate Osama bin Laden, is still imprisoned by the Pakistani military,” he said.
The MEA spokesperson was also asked about reports suggesting that Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has received an invitation to attend the US Army Day celebrations on June 14. “On invitation part, I would urge you to be better informed as to who are the people who are invited, there are foreign leaders who have been invited or not. Take your questions to the American side, they will be in a better position to answer it,” Jaiswal told reporters.
He was also asked about the India-Bangladesh ties during the media interaction. “Our ties with Bangladesh is well-known, I have said from this podium several times. We want a positive and constructive relationship with Bangladesh that is anchored in the aspirations of the people of the two countries,” he said.
He was also asked if India is monitoring the situation in West Asia. “We are following the development very closely. And, yes, we have a large diaspora population in that region. Our embassies all across the region, they are in touch with our community members also guiding them on their safety and security,” Jaiswal said.
