Pulwama attack: India urges ASEAN to support its fight against terrorism

The deadly attack on CRPF convoy in Pulwama, which killed at least 40 personnel, has received global condemnation with the Indian government launching an all-out effort to isolate Pakistan globally.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting. (PTI)

Hours after the global terror financing watchdog FATF condemned the Pulwama attack and continued the ‘Gray’ listing of Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singhurged the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to support India’s fight against the menace of terrorism.

The development also came a day after Pakistan banned Mumbai attack mastermindHafiz Saeed’s Jamat-ud-Dawa and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation amid global condemnation and increasing pressure. The suicide bomb attack on the Jammu-Srinagar highway was claimed by Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad led by Maulana Masood Azhar.

The deadly attack on CRPF convoy in Pulwama, which killed at least 40 personnel, has received global condemnation with the Indian government launching an all-out effort to isolate Pakistan globally.

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Earlier today the Financial Action Task Force in a statement said, “Pakistan has revised its TF (terror financing) risk assessment. However, it does not demonstrate a proper understanding of the TF risks posed by Da’esh (ISIS), AL-Qaida, JuD (Jamat-ud-Dawa), FIF (Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation), LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba), JeM (Jaish-e-Mohammad), HQN (Haqqani Network) and persons affiliated with the Taliban.”

Forty CRPF jawans were killed after an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into a convoy in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14. — Forty CRPF jawans were killed after an explosive-laden vehicle rammed into a convoy in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14. (Express Photo)

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army on Friday said that the country does not wish for war, but warned India of “surprise” in case it takes any aggressive military measures, amidst heightened tensions between the two sides, PTI reported. “We have a 72-year history. The partition happened in 1947 and Pakistan was liberated. India still hasn’t been able to accept that,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said.

“We are not preparing for war, you (India) are issuing threats…we have the right to respond to the threats. We are not preparing to initiate but planning to defend and retaliate which is our right,” the Army spokesman added. He further said: “Should you (India) initiate any reaction first, you would never be able to surprise us…we will surprise you.” He said when it comes to India, “Pakistan has singleness of conception. We have will and determination.”