‘Could use harsher words’: Jaishankar on use of phrase ‘epicentre of terrorism’ for Pakistan

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that he could have used “much harsher words than epicentre” for Pakistan for its role in promoting cross-border terrorism as he underlined that the world needs to be concerned about terrorism. Mr. Jaishankar, who has often described Pakistan as the "epicentre of terrorism', in an interview to Austria's national broadcaster ORF on Monday also criticised European nations for not condemning the practices that have been going on for multiple decades. When asked if the world has to be concerned that someday there could be a war between India and Pakistan, the Minister said, "I think the world needs to be concerned about terrorism.” "I think the world has to be concerned that there is terrorism going on and the world often looks away. On Monday, addressing a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg, Mr. Jaishankar said the effects of terrorism cannot be contained within a region, especially so when they are "deeply connected to narcotics and illegal weapons trade and other forms of international crimes".