Routine for Pak to come up with ‘farcical actions’ prior to key intl meets: MEA on Lakhvi sentencing

Asked about the jail sentence to Lakhvi, and issuance of an arrest warrant against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar by another Pakistan court on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the timing of these actions clearly suggests the intention of conveying a sense of compliance ahead of APG (Asia-Pacific Group) meet and the next FATF (Financial Action Task Force) plenary meet in February 2021.

“It has become routine for Pakistan to come up with such farcical actions prior to important meetings,” he said.

Lashkar’s operational commander Lakhvi sentenced to 15 years in jail

“UN proscribed entities and designated terrorists act as proxies for Pakistani establishment to fulfil its anti-India agenda. It is for the international community to hold Pakistan to account and ensure that it takes credible action against terror groups, terror infrastructure and individual terrorists.,” Srivastava said.

His remarks came hours after the Pakistani anti-terrorism court in Lahore found Lakhvi guilty under three sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 and sentenced him to five year prison terms under each section, to be served concurrently, with an additional fine of PKR 300,000 (approx. USD 1870).

Azhar was issued the arrest warrant on Thursday over terror financing.

Meanwhile, to another question on incidents of attacks on minorities, forced conversions and the recent killings of 11 coal miners from minority Shia Hazara community in Pakistan, Srivastava said India condemns this terror attack, and asserted that it is the responsibility of any country to protect its minorities and respect their basic human rights.