FM urges int’l community to address state-sponsored terrorism
Islamabad, September 09 (KMS): Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has urged the international community to hold the perpetrators of state terrorism and crimes against humanity to account.
Addressing the high-level ministerial session of UN Global Congress Of Victims Of Terrorism, he said we must distinguish terrorism from legitimate struggle for self-determination.
The Foreign Minister said we must address state-sponsored terrorism, especially in cases of foreign occupation and reject occupying powers’ propensity to use brute force against occupied people in the name of counter-terrorism operations.
He expressed solidarity with the victims of terrorism all over the world. He paid special homage to the oppressed people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Palestine and emphasized the need to counter state terrorism, especially in cases of foreign occupation.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said for the last two decades, Pakistan has been one of the worst victims of terrorism – with over 80,000 causalities and economic losses exceeding 150 billion dollars. He said that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including Islamophobic, racially, ethnically motivated and state sponsored terrorism.
The Foreign Minister stressed the need to develop a consensus definition of terrorism by taking into account new and emerging threats. He emphasized that terrorism could only be eradicated by addressing its root causes and urged the international community to look beyond their narrow political interests and geopolitical agenda to completely eradicate this menace.
Criticizing the selective approach adopted by some countries, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari underscored that tolerance for terrorism must not be a function of countries’ foreign or domestic politics. This, he stressed, was the biggest injustice to the victims of terrorism. He also noted the urgent need for continuing international cooperation to fight this global problem without any prejudice or preconceived notions against any particular religion, race, civilization or country.
The Global Congress is a two-day high-level event that is being organized by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). The objective of the Congress is to raise awareness about the rights and needs of victims of terrorism and promote dialogue on this issue. The event was also attended by a number of countries at the Ministerial level.
