PremiumAs the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) removed Pakistan from its ‘Grey List,’ the Indian side is also showing an intent to review its relations. On Thursday, Union Minister for External Affairs, S. Jaishankar said that Indian citizens want good neighbourly relations with Pakistan, but good neighbors do not engage in terrorism.
While speaking on the Day 3 of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2022, the minister slammed Pakistan for its support to terrorism.
“The people of India want good neighbourly relations with Pakistan, as does the Government of India, However, good neighbours do not carry out or condone terrorist activities."
Even in October, while addressing the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee in New Delhi, Jaishankar targeted Pakistan and said that the counter-sanctions regime of the UN has been effective in putting countries on notice who opt to support terrorist activities.
He also expressed that despite the efforts of the UN, terrorism is growing and expanding, particularly in Asia and Africa. The minister even tagged terrorism as “one of the gravest threats" to humanity.
Pakistan also target India at every opportunity, with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raking up the Kashmir issue during the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in September. He said the heart of discord between India and Pakistan is the denial of the inalienable right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination.
“We look for peace with all our neighbours, including India. Sustainable peace and stability in South Asia however remain contingent upon a just and lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute…" Shehbaz Sharif said.
The relations between the two countries entered a ‘new low’ in 2019 when the Pakistani-sponsored terrorist attacked a contingent of CRPF soldiers in Pulwama and India's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the constitution, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special privileges.
The change of guard in Afghanistan, with the Taliban coming to power has also changed the dynamics of relations and now as Pakistan is out of the FATF scrutiny, India will be on more alert about the adventures of its neighbor.