‘Routine for Pakistan to come up with farcical actions’: India questions timing of action against LeT terrorist and Mumbai attack mastermind Lakhvi

New Delhi: India on Friday said Pakistan actions on terror front like arrest order against Masood Azhar or so-called conviction of Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi are ‘farcical’.

“The timing of these actions clearly suggests the intention of conveying a sense of compliance ahead of the APJG meeting and next FATF plenary meeting in February 2021. It has become routine for Pakistan to come up with such farcical actions prior to important meetings,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava told reporters here.

He said the UN proscribed entities and designated terrorists “act as proxies for Pakistani establishment to fulfil its anti-India agenda”.

Srivastava maintained: “It is for the international community to hold Pakistan to account and ensure that it takes credible action against terror groups, terror infrastructure and individual terrorists.”

The remarks from MEA spokesman came in the wake of media reports that an arrest warrant was issued against Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar and also that a Lahore-based court sentenced terrorist Lakhvi to 15 years of imprisonment in a terror funding case. Pakistan’s Punjab police-run Counter-Terrorism unit had arrested Lakhvi on Jan 2.

On H1B issue and US government stance, the MEA spokesman said – “We have taken note of the recent proclamations of the US Government extending by three more months the current suspension of entry of certain immigrants and non-immigrants to the United States of America”. He said the Indian authorities are engaged with the U.S. Government for “increased predictability in the visa regime” and to minimize inconvenience to Indian nationals in the US or those proposing to travel to the US for bonafide reasons.

“People-to-people relations are a vital part of the partnership between India and the US,” he said.

There is recognition in the US of the fact that Indian skilled professionals have contributed to the growth of the US economy and helped it retain the “competitive edge and innovation advantage”, he said.

On the issue of purchase of S-400 missiles, MEA spokesman said India and the US have a comprehensive global strategic partnership. He said: “India has a special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia. India has always pursued an independent foreign policy. This also applies to our defence acquisitions and supplies which are guided by our national security interests”.