This is for the first time that the law makers has officially called for an ‘action plan
The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs headed by P.P. Chaudhary has recommended formulation of ‘Action plan/mechanism to root out terrorist networks and safe havens in Pakistan’.
In the report titled, ‘Countering Global Terrorism at Regional and International Levels’ which was presented on Monday, the Committee has stated that the problem of terrorism in India is largely sponsored from across the border and terrorist outfits are provided safe havens, material support, finance and other logistics by Pakistan’s ISI to carry out terrorist activities in India.
“The Committee are of the firm view that terrorist attacks in the country can only be curbed by dismantling all terrorist networks and safe havens and have recommended that an action plan/mechanism may be worked out at the earliest for effective sharing of resources, capacity enhancement and pooling of available experts of the Central agencies as well as coordinated global efforts to root out terrorist networks and safe havens in the neighbouring countries,” the report had stated.
This is for the first time that the law makers committee has officially called for an ‘action plan or a mechanism’ to dismantle terror networks safe haven that are functioning from Pakistan.
Last month, the Pakistan government had accused India of carrying out assassination of its citizens on Pakistani soil. To be sure, all the names that Pakistan had taken were members of terror groups. Similar allegations have been levelled by the Canadian government and the U.S government that Indian agencies were behind the attacks and deaths of Khalistani terrorists that had happened in their respective countries.
Similarly, in the wake of escalating global terrorism threats, particularly in regions like Asia and Africa, the Parliamentary Committee has recommended enhanced international cooperation to combat terrorism to counter terrorism at regional and international levels.
The committee has called for the urgent need for a universally accepted definition of terrorism and the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) proposed by India at the UN General Assembly in 1996. As of now, there is no universally accepted definition of terrorism or global terrorist or terrorist activities.
India had proposed the adoption of the to the UN General Assembly in 1996, but a consensus could not be achieved so far due to the position taken by some member countries on qualifying the definition of terrorism. The committee said that diplomatic efforts should be undertaken to garner support for the CCIT and establish a global counterterrorism movement.
It has further called for a collective effort against Global Terrorist Groups (GTGs) like ISIS and Al Qaida while emphasising strict adherence to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) norms, bilateral and joint operations, and enhanced coordination to curb the influence and activities of GTGs.
Focusing on the proliferation of cyber terrorism, the report stressed on the importance of evolving a comprehensive international convention to counter the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for criminal purposes. This involves active participation from stakeholders and regional cooperation to combat cyber threats effectively.
The committee has further called for recognizing the role of radicalization in fueling terrorism and advocated for proactive measures to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies.
It has recommended collaboration with international bodies and the formulation of counter radicalization measures,
Virtual currencies like Bitcoin pose new challenges in terrorist financing, the committee has stated while calling for coordinated efforts to evolve a global regulatory consensus on virtual assets, emphasizing the need for enhanced monitoring and regulatory frameworks.
Under-scoring the dangers posed by Chemical, Radiological, Biological, and Nuclear (CRBN) materials if they fall into the hands of non-state actors, the report has advocated for the establishment of legally binding protocols and compliance mechanisms to prevent proliferation. The parliamentary committee has also recommended the development of action plans for effective resource sharing and coordinated efforts to combat terrorism at its roots while calling for the formulation of a joint action.
