Islamabad, Oct 30: In a very sensational admission, a Pakistan Minister on Thursday has admitted his country's role in the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF jawans in Jammu and Kashmir. Taking pride, he admitted to the Pakistan Parliament that the 2019 Pulwama terror attack was a major success for Imran Khan's government.

 

 

 

 

 

Fawad's boastful statements came after a Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader, Ayaz Sadiq had stated that Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa's "legs were shaking" while Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told in the meeting of parliamentary leaders that India was about to attack their country if IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman was not released. "I remember Shah Mahmood Qureshi was in the meeting in which Imran Khan had refused to attend and Chief of Army Staff General Bajwa came into the room, his legs were shaking and he was perspiring. Foreign Minister said for God’s sake let Abhinandan go, India’s about to attack Pakistan at 9 PM," Sadiq recounted the events of the important meeting.

 

The brutal terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, 2019 had claimed the lives of 40 personnel. Terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle in the bus. The convoy had of 78 buses in which around 2,500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar. Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan had repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack.

 

Days later India carried out an airstrike on JeM's Balakot terror training camp in Pakistan. India had also withdrawn the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan following the terror attack. It had said that the External Affairs Ministry will initiate all possible diplomatic steps which have to be taken to ensure the isolation of Pakistan for having a direct hand in the incident. The international community had expressed its strong support to India in the wake of the terror attack.

 

Soon after his boastful admission on terror-funding Pakistan's role in the terror attack, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Giriraj Singh on Thursday sought an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his past remarks about "who benefitted the most" from the Pulwama terror attack. "Rahul Gandhi should apologize to the people of the country. The Congress party should feel ashamed that they showed a lack of faith in the soldiers and the system," he said. On the other hand, Singh said opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi had raised doubts on the capabilities of Army and questioned surgical strikes. "Today Pakistani leaders are giving proof in their (national) assembly. They (opposition and Rahul Gandhi) should apologize to the people of India," Singh said.

 

In the past, the opposition leaders in their remarks had linked the terror attack and the government's subsequent response to the Lok Sabha elections. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejwial had said in April last year that people were asking if Pakistan had killed 40 security force personnel just before elections to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi."Pakistan and Imran Khan are openly supporting Modiji. It is clear now that Modi ji has some secret pact wid them. Everyone is asking - did Pakistan kill 40 of our brave soldiers in Pulwama on 14 February just before elections to help Modi ji?" he said.

 

 

 

Even Rahul Gandhi had attacked the government and asked "who benefitted the most from the attack". "Today as we remember our 40 CRPF martyrs in the #PulwamaAttack , let us ask: Who benefitted the most from the attack? What is the outcome of the inquiry into the attack? Who in the BJP Govt has yet been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack?" he asked in a tweet on February 14, 2020.

 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accused the BJP leaders of giving political speeches on Pulwama attack and asked if the government wanted to go to war ahead of Lok Sabha elections. She had asked why a large convoy of CRPF personnel was allowed to move on the highway."I have a doubt. How they (Pakistan) have got this encouragement when the elections are round the corner? I don't know," she said. She had accused the government of creating "war-like hysteria" and alleged that government did nothing after the Pathankot terror assault. She also accused the BJP, RSS and VHP of "trying to exploit the tragedy for political dividends." Banerjee had sought a high-level inquiry into the Pulwama incident.

 

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, who contested Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar even blamed Prime Minister following the incident and said he wanted to win the Lok Sabha elections. Samajawadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had also made allegations against the government. "We are unhappy with the government, security personnel were killed for votes, there was no checking on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, security personnel were sent in simple buses. This is conspiracy," he had alleged. The SP leader had also said that there will be probe into the incident.

 

Hitting out at Pakistan, External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the "whole world knew about "Pakistan's role in supporting terrorism" and that it should not even attempt to play the victim. "The whole world knows the truth about Pakistan and its role in supporting terrorism. No amount of denial can hide this truth. The country which provides shelter to the maximum number of UN proscribed terrorists should not even attempt to play victim," he said at the weekly media briefing.

 

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General (Retd) Vinod Bhatia responding to Fawad's statements said that Pakistan should be put in the blacklist of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) following this confession. "This statement holds a lot of importance as it is a confession of Pakistan about Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan is an epicentre of terrorism. They have claimed ownership of the Pulwama terror attack and their minister has said that it is Imran Khan government's biggest achievement till date. It remains to be seen what we do further in this matter. Pakistan should be put in Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) blacklist. They should answer for the Pulwama terror attack," Bhatia said in a recorded message.