Sushma's veiled attack on Pakistan at OIC, says terror camps must go

Abu Dhabi: In an obvious attack on Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that states which shelter and fund terrorists must be told to dismantle terror camps on their soil.

"If we want to save humanity, then we must tell the states whioh provide shelter and funding to terrorists to dismantle the infrastructure of the terrorist camps and stop providing funding and shelter to terror organisations based in that country," she said.

Sushma Swaraj is attending the conference as a "Guest of Honour" from India. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi kept away from the OIC meet due to her presence.

Sushma Swaraj's remarks, without naming Pakistan, came three days after India targeted a training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Pakistan following the Pulwama suicide bombing in Kashmir which killed 40 CRPF personnel.

The Pakistan-based JeM claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sushma Swaraj said the menace of terror cannot be defeated solely through "military, intelligence or diplomatic" means but must be won by "strength of our values and message of religion".

"This is not a clash of civilization and culture but a contest between ideas and ideals.

"Terrorism and extremism bear different names and labels. It uses diverse causes. But in each case, it is driven by distortion of religion, and a misguided belief in its power to succeed," she said.

The Minister also spoke about India's ancient civilizational values, its ethos of pluralism and its eternal message of peace.

"God is one but learned men describe Him in many ways," she said.