Snakes in your backyard: Jaishankar evokes Hillary Clinton's remark saying world sees Pakistan as epicentre of terrorism

Clinton, during her visit to Islamabad in October 2011, had said during a joint news conference with Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar that ‘it’s like that old story - you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours’ United Nations: The world sees Pakistan as the epicentre of terrorism and Islamabad should clean up its act and try to be a good neighbour, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, recalling US leader Hillary Clinton’s blunt message to India’s neighbour that snakes in one’s backyard will eventually bite those who keep them. During her visit to Islamabad in October 2011, Clinton had addressed the media with Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister Khar and said, It’s like that old story - you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours. Clinton, during her visit to Islamabad in October 2011, had said during a joint news conference with then Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar that “It’s like that old story - you can’t keep snakes in your backyard and expect them only to bite your neighbours. One of the key expectations there is that Afghanistan will not again serve as a base for terrorism against other countries, and we expect whoever has authority in Afghanistan to respect and honour that.” The Security Council, in its resolution 2593 that was adopted under India’s August 2021 presidency of the Council, had said that Afghan soil not be used for terrorism, to threaten or attack any country, to shelter or train terrorists or to plan or finance terrorist acts.