Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari issued a warning to terrorists on Friday, saying Pakistan will not put up with cross-border terrorism carried out by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and other militant organizations.
During an event at United Nations, Bilawal also said Islamabad reserved the right to take direct action against terrorist organizations.
In a previous statement, the minister added that Pakistan may reevaluate its approach to dealing with the Taliban government in Afghanistan but that it could not afford to stop cooperating with Kabul.
The foreign minister claimed Pakistan had proof that these organizations were “getting financial and other support from hostile quarters,” an apparent allusion to India.
He informed the attendees who had gathered to remember the victims of the terrorist attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar on December 16, 2014, that “We reserve the right to take direct action against them.”
The foreign minister then accused India directly of supporting TTP terrorists in their attack on Pakistan.
He claimed that “our intelligence agencies have strong proof” that the TTP received organizational and financial backing from members of the former Kabul government as well as from agents of our eastern neighbor.
The UN Security Council and the secretary-general, he claimed, had received a thorough report from Pakistan that “contains clear proof of such external support to the TTP and other terrorist groups fighting against Pakistan.”
The chief diplomat for Pakistan hoped that the UN’s anti-terrorism apparatus will deal with the threat of terrorism that now emanates from Afghanistan and surrounding areas thoroughly and efficiently.
