Pak Foreign Minister evades question on terrorism

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, who is in New York to attend the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, on Wednesday refused to answer any question on Islamabad being accused of sponsoring terrorism.

The Minister dodged a question on terror asked by an ANI reporter in New York and went away without answering the poser.

Earlier, India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said that there can't be a justification for any act of terrorism.

Swaraj asserted that India condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations

"India strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms & manifestations. There can be no justification for any acts of terrorism," Swaraj said while speaking at the ad hoc Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)Meeting of Foreign Ministers in New York.

India had recently called Pakistan as "the face of international terrorism" and asked Islamabad to shutdown terrorists manufacturing factories and bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice.

In a strong reply to Pakistan's statement at the 36th Human Rights Council Sessions, Indian Diplomat from the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva Dr. Vishnu Reddy said, "Even Pakistan Foreign Minister admitted that internationally banned outfits includingLashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are operating from within Pakistan. They must shutdown its terrorist manufacturing units and bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice.

Earlier, India had also criticised Pakistan for providing sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists and said that Islamabad is using terrorism as a state policy under guise of expressing concern for human rights.

"My delegation wishes to exercise its right of reply in response to the statement made by Pakistan. Pakistan has once again sought to mask its territorial ambitions and use ofterrorism as a state policy under the guise of concern for human rights," said Sumit Seth, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.

Accusing Pakistan of violating human rights in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, he said that Islamabad has no hesitation in using air power against its own people.

"This is a country that has continued to provide sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists," he said.

-ANI