Besides violating victims’ rights, terrorism deeply affects their families and deficiencies in efforts to bring perpetrators to justice needs to be addressed

India has called for redressing deficiencies in the international efforts to ensure that perpetrators of terrorism are brought to justice.

Without taking name of Pakistan, Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “Victims of 2008 Mumbai terror attack and 2016 Pathankot terror attack are yet to get justice due to unwillingness and non-cooperative attitude of a particular country.”

Leading the Indian delegation in the 2nd Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, she said, “Even amidst the ongoing pandemic, terrorism continues to pose a critical threat to international peace and security.”

“Acts of terrorism not only violate the rights of individual victims but they also deeply affect the enjoyment of a range of rights by the families of the victims particularly women and children and therefore, measures aimed at addressing the needs of victims of terrorism should specifically factor-in their needs and sensitivities,” she highlighted.

While thanking the Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan and Spain, Co-Chairs of the Group and the UN office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) for organizing the meeting, she emphasized upon the importance of the right of the victims of terrorism to get justice for the crimes committed against them.

The MEA official also appreciated the UN for establishing August 21 as the ‘International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism’, and hoped the UN would continue its work related to addressing the needs of victims of terrorism.