Saturday, December 13, 2008

Brand Pak a Terrorist State, Say NRIs


Over 100 activists of a US-based Indo-American group, affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday held a protest demonstration outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, demanding the world body declare Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

"Nothing short of that would help," asserted supporters of the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), they dismissed sanctions against Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a front organisation of the Lashkar-e-Tayeba (LeT) blamed for the November 26 attacks, and four of its men as a mere ‘eye wash.’

Pakistan never implemented its earlier ban on LeT and allowed its leaders to work in freedom to recruit and train terrorists and collect funds, they contended.

"What is different this time?" they questioned and sent a petition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demanding the world body to warn Pakistan with stringent action unless it reins in terrorists operating out of its territory.

Several participants said India should attack terrorist training camps inside Pakistan if Islamabad fails to do so within a short time.

They termed the Mumbai attacks, ‘most audacious’ and added that ‘weak action’ by Indian government had encouraged them.

Meanwhile, advocating a more balanced approach, NRIs for Secular and Harmonious India (NRI-SAHI) commended the Indian government for not escalating the situation on the borders with Pakistan while simultaneously sending a strong message to Islamabad against encouraging terrorist outfits.

Cautioning the opposition parties which are demanding ‘war’ with Pakistan, NRI-SAHI said any conflict would be ‘disastrous’.

"Children of both countries need books, need bread and not bombs and bullets," it said.

(Agencies)

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