Jaishankar calls on UNSC to complete 'unfinished task' of prosecuting 26/11 masterminds

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 28

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called on members of the UN Security Council to complete the “unfinished” task of bringing to justice perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks.

“It was not just an attack on Mumbai, but an attack on the international community. Nationals of specific countries were identified before being murdered. This task remains unfinished. Therefore, the coming together of the UNSC’s Counter Terrorism Committee to this venue is both special and significant,” said Jaishankar at the UNSC Special Meeting of Counter-Terrorism Committee at Mumbai’s Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, the site of one of the attacks.

“The commitment of each and every member state of the UN to combat terrorism stood publicly challenged. Since then, we have endeavoured to bring the masterminds and perpetrators of this attack to justice,” said the minister while pointedly noting that of the 166 killed in Mumbai by terrorists “who had entered from across the border”, 26 were from 23 other countries.

On the unfinished business with regard to Mumbai terror attacks, India has expressed disappointment over recent blocks by China to globally proscribe four terrorists involved in the Mumbai terror attacks. They are LeT founder’s son Hafiz Talha Saeed and three Pakistan-based commanders of the same outfit Shahid Mahmood, Abdul Rehman Makki and Sajid Mir.

Jaishankar also called on the UNSC members who have joined India in Mumbai in an “expression of solidarity” that “the international community will never give up on holding terrorists accountable and delivering justice”.

“26/11 will never ever be forgotten,” he said.

The minister said much worse was averted as they ran into the collective resolve of Indian security forces, civilians and the security and staff of the Taj Hotel.

“All of them fought back valiantly in their own ways to ensure that the forces of evil were finally defeated. 18 members of the Indian police forces, 12 members of the Taj Hotel staff and security were martyred in the line of duty. As we pay tribute to them at this 26/11 memorial site, we salute their valour and resolve,”’ he observed.

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