"Somebody says you are weaponizing terrorism...they think terrorism is legitimate": Jaishankar slams Bilawal Bhutto

New Delhi [India], May 5 (ANI): Lambasting Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his "weaponising terrorism" remarks, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that it means "they think terrorism is legitimate" and that India is politically, diplomatically exposing Pakistan before the world as it is a victim of cross-border terrorism.
Jaishankar, who addressed a press conference after the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers, said India is defending itself against terrorism.
"The weaponization. It's a very interesting statement because it unconsciously reveals a mindset. What does weaponizing something mean? It means that the activity is legitimate and somebody is weaponizing it. So you say you are weaponizing trade, you are weaponizing technology. Somebody says you are weaponizing terrorism, that means they think terrorism is legitimate, that we should not weaponize it. That is normal," said Jaishankar.
He was responding to Bilawal Bhutto's remarks at the SCO meet on not getting "caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring,"
"Okay, now what are we doing? We are countering ourselves. Countering terrorism? We are defending ourselves. We are calling it out. We are exposing it... So, to me, we are not scoring diplomatic points. We are politically, diplomatically, exposing Pakistan before the world. And as a victim of terrorism, I'm completely entitled to do so," Jaishankar said.
He said India has every right to defend itself from cross-border terrorism.
"What do you mean we should not weaponize terrorism? That means, as a victim, I'm supposed to put up with it. So you not only commit terrorism, but you say, oh, please, do not even speak about it? Come on. So to me, that sentence, it spoke so much about a mindset of that country that you can all see for yourselves," he added.
Jaishankar said Pakistan is a "spokesperson of the terrorism industry". He said Bilawal Bhutto came to India for SCO meeting.
"That is part of multilateral diplomacy. Don't see it as anything more than that. I think that nothing from what he said or what I heard he said deserves this to be treated more than that...As a promoter, justifier and I am sorry to say, spokesperson of a terrorism industry which is the mainstay of Pakistan, his positions were called out and they were countered, including at the SCO meeting," he said.
India has consistently raised the issue of Pakistan's continued support to cross-border terrorism and terrorist infiltration. It has said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have borne the brunt of this terrorism campaign for decades and continue to do so.
In his remarks at the SCO meeting, Bilawal Bhutto said terrorism continues to threaten global security and that collective security is joint responsibility.
"Let's not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring," he said.
India has said that talks and terror cannot go together and it is for Pakistan to create conducive atmosphere for bilateral talks. (ANI)