By Arul Louis
United Nations, Sep 25 (IANS): India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called for 'zero tolerance' for terrorism and warned that those who prevent UN sanctions against terrorists "do so at their own peril".
"Having borne the brunt of cross-border terrorism for decades, India firmly advocates a a 'zero tolerance' approach," he said on Saturday at the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly.
Without directly naming Pakistan or its protector China, he added, "Those who politicise the UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime, sometimes to the extent of defending proclaimed terrorists, do so at their own peril."
The UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime is the procedure for imposing sanctions based on the Security Council resolution with that number.
China has been blocking sanctions against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Sajid Mir, involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) leader Abdul Rauf Azhar, and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) leader Abdul Rehman Makki.
Before relenting under international pressure, China had blocked sanctions against LeT leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who is the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack in which nearly 175 people died.
"There is no justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivation. And no rhetoric, however sanctimonious can ever cover-up blood stains," Jaishankar said.
He added, "Believe me, they advance neither their own interests nor indeed their reputation."