India warns Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism, says 'our overtures shouldn't be taken as sign for weakness'

India on Thursday warned Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism, adding that 'our overtures shouldn't be taken as a sign for weakness'. India also urged the international community to isolate Pakistan "to increase the cost of engaging in terror activities".

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (5WCSP), being organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, and the Parliament of Austria on 19 and 20 August 2020 with the support of the United Nations (UN).

Responding to Pakistan National Assembly Speaker's observation at the 5WCSP during the special event on ‘Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism: The perspective of victims’, Birla also asserted that Jammu and Kashmir "has been and will remain an integral part of India". 

A statement read, "India exercises its Right of Reply to statement by Pakistan, a country whose PM glorified dreaded terrorist "Osama Bin Laden" a "martyr" from its Parliament. UN Analytical Support Sanctions Monitoring Team mentions Pakistan as the leading exporter of terror with more than 6000 nationals currently engaged in terrorism."

It added, "Jammu and Kashmir has been and will remain an integral part of India. We call upon Pakistan to end cross-border terrorism. Our overtures should not be taken as a sign for weakness."

"The international community should isolate Pakistan to increase the cost of engaging in terror activities. Pakistan's PM had admitted to nearly 40,000 militants on its soil. Pakistan's aggressions against J&K in 1965, 1971, 1999 (Kargil), attack on Mumbai and Parliament, Uri, Pulwama etc. show Pakistan's State-sponsored policy of terrorism as evident in the inaction against likes of Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Ehsanullah Ehsan," added the statement.