Pak FO’s ‘selective amnesia’ over Cameron’s ‘terror export’ googly

Islamabad(ANI): Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has chosen to counter British Prime Minister David Cameron’s remarks that Islamabad has to stop exporting terror, by disowning terrorists on its soil.

“Terrorists have no religion, no humanity, no specific ethnicity or geography,” The Daily Times quoted Basit, as saying.

“The terrorists’ networks, as the UK knows well, mutate and operate in different regions and cities. The genesis of terrorism as a global phenomenon warrants close attention,” he added.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who is on a three-day visit to India, has said that Pakistan could not be allowed to harbour militants and promote terror against India, Afghanistan and the rest of the world.   

He also suggested that Pakistan was guilty of double-dealing by aligning itself with both the West and the forces it was opposing.

“We should be very, very clear with Pakistan that we want to see a strong, stable and democratic Pakistan. We can not tolerate in any sense the idea that this country is allowed to look both ways and is able, in any way, to promote the export of terror, whether to India or whether to Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world,” Cameron said.

“That is why this relationship is important. It should be a relationship based on a very clear message: that it is not right to have any relationship with groups that are promoting terror. Democratic states that want to be part of the developed world cannot do that. The message to Pakistan from the US and the UK is very clear on that point,” he added.

Basit however insisted that Pakistan had done much more than any other country in combating terrorism.

“Our people and security forces have rendered innumerable sacrifices,” Basit said.

“We hope that our friends will be able to persuade India to view this issue objectively and the value of “cooperation” in counter-terrorism,” he added.