India slams Pakistan for evading responsibility on Pulwama despite enough proof, sheltering Masood Azhar
Two days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet on the February 2019 Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel, India on Thursday said that Pakistan continues to evade responsibility for action against Jaish-e-Mohammad, which took responsibility for the attack, and has been sheltering accused Masood Azhar.
Answering queries during the regular virtual media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the charge sheet by NIA has been filed after an year-and-a-half investigation since the attack took place on February 14, 2019.
"It has been filed to address the act of terrorism and to bring perpetrators of such a heinous crime to justice. Our aim is not to simply issue statements or notifications," he said.
The investigation revealed that the Pulwama attack was a result of a well-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by Pakistan-based leadership of terrorist organisation JeM.
He said Jaish-e-Mohammad and its leadership were in Pakistan and enough evidence has been shared with the neighbouring country.
"Jaish-e-Mohammad had claimed the responsibility of Pulwama attack. The organization and its leadership is in Pakistan. It is regrettable that Masood Azhar, the first accused in the chargesheet continues to find shelter in Pakistan. Enough evidence has been shared with Pakistan but it continues to evade responsibility," Srivastava said.
He also said that Pakistan has not yet taken any credible action against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack of 2008 which resulted in loss of 165 innocent lives including 25 foreign nationals.
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