If Pakistan claims to be naya Pakistan with naya soch, then we want to see naya action on terror groups: MEA

On Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs expressed its suspicion regarding Pakistan’s purported crackdown on terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen which are inflicting terror on India from Pakistani territory. Speaking to the media, Raveesh Kumar, the MEA spokesperson, said Pakistan’s arrests and detention of extremist leaders followed the “same script” used in the aftermath of previous terror incidents in India such as the attack on Parliament in 2001, Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 and the Pathankot air base attack in 2016. Kumar said Pakistan’s action against terrorists was “only on paper” and said the country’s military spokesperson had denied the presence of Jaish-e-Mohammed on its territory despite the fact that Pakistan Foreign Minister had accepted that Jaish chief Massod Azhar was present in Pakistan. Referring to the recent statements of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, where he had affirmed that the Jaish-e-Mohammed was indeed operating in the country, Rajeev Kumar said, “If Pakistan claims to be naya Pakistan with naya soch, then we want to see naya action.” Rajeev Kumar further emphasised that India had not “escalated” tensions with Pakistan in the wake of the Indian Air Force strike on Balakot and called the operation a “non-military” strike to avert possible terrorist attacks in the country.