Asserting that state sponsored and state protected terrorism is the biggest challenge of recent times, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said that global prosperity is dependent on continued peace and that security and terrorism is a key threat to stability, progress and development, adding that terrorism has truly become a global challenge.
Addressing the media at the inauguration of the BRICS Media forum, Swaraj said, "BRICS Summit saw a growing recognition that there cannot be business as usual when it comes to dealing with terrorism. State sponsored and state protected terrorism is the biggest challenge."
"Terrorism is universally recognised as a key threat to peace, a truly global challenge. It featured strongly in narrative," she added.
"Terrorism was universally accepted as a key to threat to stability, progress and development. Consequently, it featured strongly in the, conference narrative and its eventual outcome. Indeed, what we saw was not just an understanding of the dangers posed by terrorism to the economic aspirations of the world but a growing recognition that this has now become a truly global challenge that the international community can ignore at its peril," she added.
Swaraj further stressed that members of BIMSTEC- Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri-lanka and Thailand- today represent the polar opposite of a terrorism promoting polity.
"They are focused on improving the quality of life of their people, on skills and employement, on education and health and on the quality of governance and the deepening of democracy. These are nations, who are actively promoting connectivity, cooperation and contacts amongst themselves. Their interface with the BRICS is the message in itself," Swaraj said.
Continuing India's mission to globally isolate Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took on the hostile neighbour on the second day of the BRICS Summit, saying that Islamabad was the 'mother-ship' of terrorism.
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Addressing the BRICS leaders at the restricted meeting, Prime Minister Modi did not mince words as he flayed Pakistan among the global platform, while calling on all BRICS nations to speak in one voice against this "threat".
Asserting that the growing arc of terrorism today threatens Middle East, West Asia, Europe and South Asia, the Prime Minister stated that its violent footprints put at risk the security of citizens and undercuts efforts aimed at economic growth.
"The most serious direct threat to our eco prosperity is terrorism. Tragically, its mother-ship is a country in India's neighbourhood. Terror modules around the world are linked to this mother ship. This country shelters not just terrorists, it nurtures a mindset. A mindset that loudly proclaims that terrorism is justified for political gains," Prime Minister Modi said.
BRICS has condemned terrorism "in all its forms" in the past as in Ufa last year, but according to reports this time India expects the outcome document to include sections on how to deal with countries which provide sanctuaries to terrorists and also ways to cut off terror financing.
Prime Minister Modi's fresh attack on Pakistan comes in the wake of the spree of ceasefire violations and cross border firings by the hostile neighbour, after the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army on 29 September to destroy terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
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