Islamabad urged to wage a different fight — against poverty, unemployment and illiteracy
(From PTI)
In a blunt warning to Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday the recent terror attack on Uri army base in Jammu and Kashmir will not be forgotten as he accused Islamabad of conspiring to spill blood across Asia by exporting terror.
Launching a blistering attack on Pakistan in his first public address after last Sunday’s deadly terror attack, he said the sacrifice of 18 soldiers will not go in vain while all out efforts will be made to isolate that country globally.
“Terrorists should hear out clearly that India will never forget the Uri attack… I want to tell the leadership of Pakistan that the sacrifice of our 18 jawans (soldiers) will not go in vain,” Modi told a largely-attended public meeting on Kerala’s Kozhikode beach held on the sidelines of the BJP national council meet.
He said while countries in Asia are working to make the 21st century Asia’s, Pakistan is engaged in a conspiracy of causing bloodshed across the continent by sponsoring terrorism and killing innocents.
Asserting that Pakistan was behind terror incidents in Afghanistan, and Bangladesh besides India, he said “across the world wherever a terrorist incident happens, you will find that either terrorists had gone from there (Pakistan) or come to live there like Osama-bin Laden.”
He indicated that India’s efforts will be directed at isolating Pakistan diplomatically, saying it has already succeeded in this regard and will speed up the measures.
He did not spell out the nature of India’s response.
Modi said India had never bowed to terror and will never do so in future and will strive to defeat it.
He said every nation is viewing one country in Asia as the haven for terrorists. “This is the only country engaged in exporting terror across the world,” he said.
Reaching out to the people of Pakistan, Modi urged them to question their government as to why it keeps talking about Kashmir and misleads them when it cannot handle PoK, Baluchistan and Gilgit and recalled how it could not handle Bangladesh, which was once its part.
“Pakistan’s public should ask its leaders as to why despite getting Independence together, India exports software and Pakistan exports terrorism.”
Modi said Pakistani leaders used to say they will fight for 1000 years with India and he wondered where they were now.
“I accept this challenge. I want to tell you that India wants to fight with Pakistan. If you have the courage then why not fight to end poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy. Let us see which country wins, India or Pakistan,” he said.