ISLAMABAD: Pakistan appealed to the international community on Friday to take sharp note of what it called ‘the terrorist activities’ of India’s far-right Shiv Sena in a move likely to exacerbate ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Shiv Sena, an ally of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has been in the headlines in recent weeks for its anti-Pakistan rhetoric and activities. The group, which is notorious for violence, has targeted even high-profile visitors from Pakistan including former foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali, and more recently, forced the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to cancel talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to revive bilateral cricketing ties.
“I agree with you that the international community should take note of the terrorist activities of this organisation. We have repeatedly expressed our concern on its activities,” replied Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah when asked whether the world should take notice of Shiv Sena’s hate politics.
Pakistan has condemned Shiv Sena’s activities in the past but this was for the first time it branded the Hindu extremist group a ‘terrorist outfit’.
Speaking at his weekly briefing, Qazi also expressed concerns over India’s ‘massive arms buildup’ through acquisition of modern weaponry. “The growing conventional asymmetry undermines regional stability and also negatively impacts the balance of strategic deterrence,” he argued.
He added that Pakistan remained fully cognisant of evolving security dynamics in South Asia and, while adhering to the policy of avoiding an arms race, will take all measures to safeguard its national security.
Confirming that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to express condolences over the loss of lives in the recent earthquake in Pakistan, the spokesperson said such ‘good gestures’ were made in the past by both sides.
“However, this does not diminish the need to resolve outstanding disputes and issues including Kashmir through a sustained and resilient dialogue process between the two neighbors, as emphasised in the Pakistan-US Joint Statement issued during the recent visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Washington,” Qazi said.
