'Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism': Ex-diplomat slams Islamabad for glorifying terrorists on I-Day

New Delhi [India], August 17 (ANI): Former diplomat Veena Sikri on Saturday condemned Pakistani government officials for "paying homage" to top terrorists during their Independence Day celebrations, calling it further proof of Islamabad's long-standing support for terror groups.

Speaking to ANI, Sikri said that Pakistan is a "terror monger of terrorism" and India must be wary of it.

"We have always said that Pakistan is a state sponsor of terrorism. It is a matter of great concern to India. And our Prime Minister has now declared the new normal that every act of terror will be considered an act of war. So this is a big warning to Pakistan that they should not indulge in terrorist acts by any of their own army, or their own army personnel, but in addition to that, they must not support terrorism perpetrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba, or Zabat-ud-Dawa, or other organisations," she said.

Sikri stressed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has issued a "huge warning" to Pakistan against conducting terror activities.

"So I think this is a very big warning from Prime Minister Modi to the terrorists of Pakistan. So I hope they will heed that warning. What they did on their own Independence Day on 14th August just proves the point. They have always been supporting terrorism. They have always been supporting terrorist groups, giving them money," she said.

She further alleged that Pakistan is diverting International Monetary Fund (IMF) funds to rebuild infrastructure destroyed during Operation Sindoor.

"They are now offered to build all their buildings which were destroyed during the Operation Sindoor with government money. So all the money going from the IMF is going for this purpose. It is terrible, and the world should take note of that," she said.

On Friday, in his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Modi hailed the success of Operation Sindoor and saluted the role of the armed forces who targeted terror sites in Pakistan. The operation, he said, was an expression of India's outrage at the Pahalgam terrorists' attack in which "husbands were killed in front of their wives and fathers were killed in front of their children after asking their religion."

"I am very proud that from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I am getting the opportunity to salute the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Our brave jawans punished the enemy beyond its imagination," PM Modi said. (ANI)

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