Pakistan progenitor of cross-border terrorism: India

India on Friday hit back at Pakistan over its claim that the Indian Army has been “politicised”, calling Pakistan the “progenitor” of cross-border terrorism and urging it to end its support for terrorism.

The response came after the Pakistani army on January 15 alleged “extreme politicisation of the Indian Army” following statements made by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi against Islamabad.

Singh accused Pakistan of repeatedly attempting to destabilise India by sponsoring terrorism and warned that it must dismantle its terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) or face consequences. General Dwivedi described Pakistan as the “epicentre” of terrorism, stating that the cycle of violence in J&K is being “orchestrated” by the neighbouring country.

Responding to a question during the weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The whole world knows who is promoting terrorism. In India, whenever there are terror-related attacks, it is clear where they originate. We all understand the genesis and root of cross-border terrorism.”

He added, “In this context, for Pakistan to claim that we are politicising something is immaterial. Everyone knows that there are people, there are countries, who are responsible for cross-border terrorism.”

Jaiswal reiterated India’s demand for Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism.