Islamabad, Pakistan expressed its strong objection to a joint statement issued after the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden, urging Islamabad to take action against extremist organizations.
During his state visit, Narendra Modi engaged in a one-on-one meeting with the US president, focusing on enhancing bilateral ties between the two nations.
A comprehensive 58-point statement released by the White House emphasized the unity of the United States and India in countering global terrorism, condemning all forms and manifestations of terrorism and violent extremism.
The statement read, “President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups, including Al-Qa’ida, Daesh, Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen.”
Furthermore, they strongly denounced cross-border terrorism, the utilization of terrorist proxies, and urged Pakistan to promptly address the issue of no territory under its control being used as a launchpad for terrorist attacks. The leaders emphasized the need for justice to be served in the cases of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks.
In a direct and forceful response, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif criticized the United States for disregarding human rights violations in India and urged President Biden to take these facts into consideration before welcoming the “Butcher of Gujarat” once again to his country.
Highlighting the irony of the situation, the defence minister tweeted, “The irony of this statement coming during the visit of someone who was banned entry to the US for overseeing a pogrom of Muslims when he was CM Gujarat.”
Asif further accused Modi of spearheading state-sponsored terrorism in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK) region, which involved frequent infliction of injuries and blindness upon the local population.
He added, “In other parts of the country, Modi’s followers mercilessly target Muslims, Christians, and other minority communities without facing any consequences.”
Khawaja Asif emphasized that Pakistan has endured significant losses and has been engaged in the war against terrorism for several decades, often due to failed American interventions in the region.
He concluded his statement by suggesting that President Biden should carefully consider these facts the next time he honors the “Butcher of Gujarat.”