India Calls Out Pakistan At UN Over Terror Leaders
NEW YORK, NY-India has denounced Pakistan over its links with “the worst of humanity” — al-Qaida terrorists who killed thousands in the US in the September 11, 2001, attacks — saying the same environment that sheltered the architects of 9/11 has continued to provide space and support to terror groups targeting India.
Recalling the Security Council’s visit to the 9/11 memorial last week, India’s Permanent Representative P. Harish said the memory of the victims should serve as a reminder to act against both terrorists and those who support them.
Harish did not name Pakistan directly in the remark, but listed several senior al-Qaida leaders involved in the 9/11 attacks who were later found living in Pakistan, highlighting India’s contention that the country provided them shelter and protection.
He said the groups continue to operate under different identities to evade the Council’s sanctions, while their terror-training infrastructure continues to operate with impunity.
Harish also drew attention to the links between Pakistan, al-Qaida and terrorist groups targeting India, saying the international community must act against the continued existence of such sanctuaries.
“The international community must act against the continued existence of such sanctuaries, to ensure that more such individuals are not thrust upon any country or its citizens and no one loses family and loved ones,” he said.
Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, while India has accused the Pakistan-based group and its affiliates of involvement in other attacks over the decades. India has also linked The Resistance Front, described as a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, to the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Harish said al-Qaida’s “terror ecosystem” had established its “strategic depth” beyond Afghanistan through its affiliates to facilitate the 9/11 attacks.
“The leaders of al-Qaida who conceived and directed these 9/11 attacks did not escape justice in the wilderness of some ungoverned frontier,” he said.
He identified five al-Qaida leaders involved in the 9/11 plot who were later found or captured in Pakistan:
“They were not fugitives hiding in caves or badlands; they were men who had long evaded detection,” Harish said.
Calling for action against Pakistan for supporting and sheltering terrorists, Harish said, “Draining this swamp that provided an enabling environment for such monsters of humankind to prosper is important”. (IANS)
