Pulwama massacre: India ups pressure, Modi asks world to unite against terror

Determined to walk the talk on punishing perpetrators of the Pulwama massacre in south Kashmir, India is exploring all options to call Pakistan to account, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorting the world to act unitedly against terror. Dithering action against terrorists and their supporters will encourage terrorism, Mr Modi said at a joint press statement with Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri in New Delhi on February 18. The Pulwama terror attack shows that the time for talks is over and now the world has to join hands to deal with terrorism and those who are supporting it, he said. Supporting India’s stand, Argentinian President Mauricio Macri firmly condemned the Pulwama terror attack and underlined the need for united fight against terrorism. The February 14 terror attack in south Kashmir, which killed 49 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, has lead to strong condemnation and expressions of support from key capitals in the world.  Security cover to separatist Kashmiri leaders withdrawn In a strong signal that it can’t be business as usual, the Jammu and Kashmir government withdrew the security cover provided to five separatist leaders in Kashmir, and is reviewing the security enjoyed “by other separatists.” The order was issued three days after the Pulwama terror attack and two days after Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Kashmir with immediate effect from the evening of February 17. As mentioned in the order, security personnel guarding these separatist leaders and vehicles they have been provided by the government have been withdrawn. Apart from Chairman Hurriyat(M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the state government has also included Abdul Ghani Bhat, Bilal Lone, Shabir Ahmad Shah and Hashim Qureshi in the list of five Hurriyat leaders who will not be given any facility from the government. All these separatist leaders are known to have pro-Pakistan sympathies and are suspected of fomenting militancy in the state. Earlier, India had withdrawn Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan, a largely symbolic move to penalize the neighbouring nation for its complicity in the February 14 terror attack in south Kashmir. Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Like earlier such attacks, Pakistan has predictably denied any role in the Pulwama terror. India has launched a multi-pronged diplomatic campaign to isolate Pakistan over the Pulwama carnage.