The irony of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s remarks against Pakistan at the No Money for Terror (NMFT) ministerial conference on counter-terrorism financing is not lost on the world. The international community has been condemning India for the religious persecution of minorities and its inability to uphold human rights for months now. To target Pakistan—especially when we have gone above and beyond to prove our lack of involvement in the Indian state and have fought against militancy internally and externally—is unwarranted and seems like a last-ditch effort to save face or avert blame.
In his inaugural address that urged the international community to stand against countries that support terrorism as part of their foreign policy, PM Modi was seemingly unaware of India being an aggressor state itself. Recent reports by the UN have highlighted the plight of religious minorities in India and at least 21 states and six other human rights organisations have condemned the deplorable actions taken by the fascist state. Violence is rampant, as is state-sanctioned discrimination. Human rights are not being upheld and freedoms are being curtailed on a daily basis, particularly in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) which has borne the brunt of most of the Indian government’s repressive policies. Safety is something that not many enjoy in India and the global community has affirmed this unfortunate reality.
To ignore all responsibility and avert blame onto ‘countries that support terrorism’—referencing Pakistan—is rather foolish at this point. After immense strife, Pakistan’s counter-terrorism measures were given due recognition by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and we were removed from the Grey List. Our anti-money laundering procedures and counter-financing of terrorism regulations were given the credibility we fought to deserve and countless states have acknowledged our efforts in reducing and combatting terrorism.
We have gone far past the point in which the rhetoric of ‘Pakistan funding terrorism’ would be persuasive and to insist further is a decision that will only paint the Indian government in a bad light. It is particularly preposterous when there has been so much attention directed toward state-sponsored aggression in India and its attempt to incite conflict in Pakistan through Kashmir and Balochistan. What India needs most right now is self-reflection so that it can answer for the crimes it is committing within its borders, and outside.