In view of Pulwama terror attack, India apprises 25 Heads of Mission about Pak's role in sponsoring JeM

Launching a concerted diplomatic offensive against Pakistan in the wake of Pulwama terror attack, Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday apprised around 25 Heads of Mission (HoMs) about Islamabad's role in sponsoring terror outfit-Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

"As a part of continuing diplomatic efforts to expose Pakistan's role in Pulwama terror attack, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has met around 25 Heads of Mission (HoMs) in New Delhi, including five permanent members of the United Nations," the source told ANI.

"All HoMs were left in no doubt about the role played by Pakistan-based and supported Jaish-e-Mohammed in the terrorist attack. India raised the demand that Pakistan must cease forthwith all support to terror groups operating from the areas under their control," said the source.

"Foreign Secretary Gokhale also highlighted the role played by Pakistan in using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy. The MEA will continue to take all steps to expose the complicity of Pakistan in Pulwama terror attack and demand immediate and verifiable action against Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar," added the source.

MEA's meeting with HoMs comes after India vowed to take all possible diplomatic steps to ensure Pakistan's complete isolation internationally.

The meeting, held at the Ministry of External Affairs here in South Block, started at 6 pm on Friday. The representatives from South Korea, Sweden, Slovakia, France, Spain, Bhutan, Germany, Hungary, Italy, European Union, Canada, Britain, Russia, Israel, Australia, and Japan were present in the meeting.

Earlier in the day, India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over Pulwama terror attack and its High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood was summoned by the Foreign Secretary in connection with the attack.

According to sources, Gokhale issued a strong demarche in connection with the terrorist attack in Pulwama and conveyed that Pakistan must take immediate and verifiable action against JeM.

He also conveyed to Mahmood that Pakistan must immediately stop any groups or individuals associated with terrorism from operating from its territories, the source added.

The Foreign Secretary also rejected the statement made by the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan on Thursday with regards to the attack.

Nearly 40 CRPF personnel were killed when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist rammed a vehicle carrying over 100-kg explosives into their bus on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Thursday at around 3.15 pm at Ladhu Modi Lethpora.

The convoy consisted of 78 buses in which around 2,500 CRPF personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar. JeM, a terror outfit based in Pakistan and led by Masood Azhar, has carried out several terror attacks in India including the attack on Pathankot airbase in 2016.

Masood was released by then Central government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in exchange for hostages on board flight IC-814 in December 1999. India has approached the United Nations to list Masood as a global terrorist, but China always vetoes New Delhi's bid in this regard.