India's permanent representative at UN quotes Rumi to target Pakistan for supporting terrorism

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A day after the NIA filed a chargesheet against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the Pathankot terror attack, India's permanent representative at the UN Syed Akbaruddin pressed for international action against terror groups Lashka-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and "their shadowy supporters".

"We need to address, as an imperative, support (to) terrorist groups like (the) Taliban, al-Qaida and its designated affiliates like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad, which operate outside the fabric of international law (and) draw from shadowy supporters outside Afghanistan," he was quoted as saying.

Syed Akbaruddin cited a quote from poet Rumi to send a message to Pakistan. He said, "(We) need to remind ourselves of what Rumi said: What you sow will bear fruit. If you have any sense my friend, don't plant anything but peace," Akbaruddin said, according to ANI.

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"If we are to bring sustainable peace to Afghanistan, groups perpetrating violence must be denied safe havens in Afghan's neighbourhood," Akbaruddin said.

The remarks were in reference to the terrorist groups operating with Pakistan's support in Afghanistan.

Highlighting the outcome of the Heart of Asia Ministerial meeting held earlier this month, Akbaruddin said it was a mark of India's and the international community's commitment to Afghanistan.

"A key focus during India's co-chairmanship of the Heart of Asia process has been to bring to centre-stage the importance of connectivity for Afghanistan," he said.

He said that a well-connected Afghanistan will be economically vibrant, prosperous and politically stable.

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Akbaruddin said a milestone was achieved earlier this year, by signing the trilateral transit and transport agreement among India, Iran and Afghanistan for provision of year-round and reliable connectivity to Afghanistan via Chahbahar in Iran.

He said there are many promising projects like the TAPI gas pipeline, TAT railway line and the CASA 1000 and to achieve the benefits of these projects it is essential that trade and transit agreements that Afghanistan enters into are fully activated.

He asserted that a well connected Afghanistan will have great potential to engage the energies of its youth and attract its talents back from foreign lands and denying such an opportunity and connectivity to Afghanistan is to deny Afghanistan all opportunities of prosperity and peace that this entails.

Akbaruddin emphasized on the need to replace the connectivity that terror networks have established by creating roads, trade networks and ideas for peace and prosperity.

"Afghanistan's National Unity Government has India's full support for strengthening its defense capabilities to fight terrorism directed against it. We believe that the path to reconciliation in Afghanistan should be through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process in adherence to the internationally accepted red lines, reflecting the aspirations of the people of Afghanistan," he said.

with ANI inputs