New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday expressed shock at the recent decision by the United Nations Security Council to name Pakistan as the Vice-chair of the counter-terrorism panel, especially when it panel was formed after the 9/11 terror attacks. Pakistan sheltered the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Its land has been used as a refuge for global terrorist organisations. Terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar roam around openly, and senior officers of the Pakistan Army attend the funerals of terrorists. Now, the same country is expected to lead the global community against terrorism. This raises serious questions on the intentions and policies of the international system,” he said.Singh called upon the global community and organisations such as the United Nations to think on issues like terrorism more seriously, saying that “Only when we are free from terrorism, will we be able to move towards the goal of global peace, progress and prosperity.”Singh pointed out that India and Pakistan attained independence at the same time. “But today, India has been recognised as the Mother of Democracy, while Pakistan has emerged as the Father of Global Terrorism. Pakistan has always given shelter to terrorists, trained them on its soil and helped them,” said the defence minister.He said Pakistan always tried to justify this menace. “It is important that we eliminate these terrorists and their entire infrastructure,” said Singh.He urged the international community to stop foreign funding to Pakistan, saying that a large part of this financial aid is spent on terrorism. “Funding Pakistan means funding the infrastructure of terrorism. Pakistan is a nursery of terrorism. It should not be nourished,” he added.Singh advised Pakistan to seek India’s help if it is unable to take action against terrorism on its soil. He stated that the Indian Armed Forces are capable of taking effective action against terrorism on either side of the border, which was witnessed by Pakistan itself during Operation Sindoor. Calling Pakistan stubborn, he termed it necessary for the whole world to put strategic, diplomatic and economic pressure on Islamabad to deal with terrorism emanating from its soil.Defence minister described Operation Sindoor as the biggest action taken against terrorism in Indian history, which was carried out in response to the cowardly terror attack on innocent people in Pahalgam, J&K. He said the Pahalgam incident was an attack on the social unity of the country, and India took a big and strong action against terrorism and its perpetrators by destroying terror bases and related infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. “Following the abrogation of Article 370, J&K heralded into the era of peace and progress. Our neighbors could not tolerate this, and executed the terror attack in Pahalgam. Despite Pakistan’s best efforts, it has not been able to stop development in Kashmir. Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link is a shining example of the Government’s relentless pursuit of progress in J&K. Soon, PoK will join us and say ‘I, too, am Bharat’,” he added.Singh asserted that while the Indian armed forces had given a befitting reply to terrorists, it is imperative to prevent terror incidents such as the one in Pahalgam in future. He emphasised on the need to be alert not just at the level of governments, but also at the public levelThe defence minister described terrorism as a distorted moral reasoning, the biggest curse on humanity, a major threat to peaceful co-existence and democracy, and an obstacle in the path of progress. The fight against terrorism is not just a question of security, it is a battle to protect the basic values of humanity, he added.Branding terrorism as an epidemic destined to perish, Singh stressed that the menace cannot be left to die a natural death as its existence will continue to challenge collective peace, development and prosperity. He underscored the urgent need for a permanent solution to terrorism.“Terrorists are not fighters with a cause. No religious, ideological or political reason can justify terrorism. No human objective can ever be achieved through bloodshed and violence,” he said. Singh highlighted the growing use of information warfare in the 21st century, urging the people to become social soldiers by identifying lies, stopping rumours, and spreading awareness in the society. “While data and information are the biggest power, it is also the biggest challenge. During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan conspired to break the morale of our soldiers and citizens through fake videos, manipulated news and posts. Even though military actions have been stopped, information warfare is still going on. If people share false news without thinking, they unknowingly become a weapon of the enemy. It is time that all citizens become social soldiers. The Government is working on cybersecurity at its level, but every citizen needs to be a ‘first responder’,” he said.
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