India flays UNSC for being selective on terrorism

NEW DELHI: India has criticised the UN Security Council for being selective in highlighting terrorism and have urged that there should be no double standards in dealing with terror. “We need political will to defeat terrorism and not justification and glorification of terrorism.

There should be no double standards in dealing with terrorists. We should refrain from labelling terrosim based on motivations as this will allow opportune  forces to justify such acts,’’ said India’s permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj. She was speaking after the UN Security Council briefing on “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorists acts.”

“An effective functioning of the Sanctions Committees requires them to become more transparent, accountable and objective. The practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests without giving any justification must end,” she said. “Double standards and continuing politicisation render the credibility of the sanctions regime at an all time low.

Linkages between terrorism and organised crime need to be addressed. In India, we have had first time experience of crime syndicates venturing into terror and thereafter getting state hospitality in neighbouring country such hypocrisy  needs to be collectively called out,’’ ambassador Kamboj added.

India also highlighted how it was been continuously targeted by terrorist forces and how the UNSC was selectively filtering those references. “It is puzzling to us that the Secretary General’s report chose not to take notice of the activities of the several proscribed groups in this region, especially those that have been repeatedly targeting India. Selective filtering of inputs from member states is uncalled for,” she added.

She also said that she hoped that future inferations from the SG’s report, inputs from all member states would be treated on an equal footing. “The SG’s report also outlines the fact that terrorist groups with linkages to ISIL and Al Qaeda are gaining strength in Africa, targeting women and children and UN peacekeepers. ISIL expansion has potential to spill over to other parts of the world as well,’’ ambassador Kamboj added. Earlier also, China, an all-weather friend of Islamabad, had placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistan-based terrorists.