Action should be taken against countries supporting terrorism, demands Indian Foreign Minister at the SCO

Beijing: Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj targeted Pakistan at the ‘Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’ (SCO) meeting strongly saying, ‘We cannot restrict the war against terrorism only to eliminate terrorists. The war against terrorism needs to include harsh actions against the countries backing and providing financial assistance to them.’

Foreign Minister Swaraj targeted Pakistan, without naming it, while raising the issue of terrorism in her address at the Conference of Foreign Ministers of the members of SCO in China. ‘There are far bigger challenges faced by the world. But terrorism is the biggest challenge. Terrorism violates human life, peace and basic human rights,’ retorted Foreign Minister Swaraj. Foreign Minister Swaraj exhibited the Indian seriousness about the subject by taking an aggressive stance in the conference organised in China, the closest associate country of Pakistan.

Pakistan Foreign Minister is also attending the SCO conference and there is a demand from Pakistan the he should use the platform to raise the Kashmir issue. But Foreign Minister Swaraj seems to have cornered Pakistan by raising the issue of terrorism. The Foreign Minister effectively tabled the Indian objection to the ‘One Belt One Road’ scheme being implemented by China with the help of Pakistan and other countries. Foreign Minister Swaraj emphatically stated that India will never participate in a project that challenges the sovereignty of the country.

The ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor’,a part of the ‘One Belt One Road’ project, is passing through Pakistan occupied Kashmir and the Indian stand is that this land is a part of India. Therefore, saying that this project is not legal, India has time and again opposed it. Even in the SCO conference, Foreign Minister Swaraj warned China that before implementing the infrastructure projects in the neighbouring countries it must respect the sovereignty of that country. It is evident that India is firm on its position about this ambitious Chinese project.