Blacked out in Pakistan, read Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s SAARC speech here

[avinash shahi]

Blacked out in Pakistan, read Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s SAARC speech here
Rajnath Singh's speech at SAARC meet in Pakistan was reportedly
blacked out as media organisations were not allowed to cover the
conference.By: Express Web Desk
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/rajnath-singh-saarc-speech-pakistan-full-text-media-blackout/
New Delhi
Published:Aug 4, 2016, 16:47
india
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By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Published:August 4, 2016 4:47 pm
Rajnath Singh, SAARC, Rajnath Singh SAARC speech, Rajnath Singh
pakistan, rajnath singh pak speech, rajnath singh media, pakistan,
indo pak news Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh delivered a statement
at the SAARC home ministers meet in Pakistan. (Source: File/PTI)
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is in Pakistan to attend a meeting of
SAARC nation home ministers, in his address on Thursday hit out at
nations shielding terrorists saying there should be no distinction
when it comes to terrorists. He called upon SAARC nations to
outrightly condemn incidents of terror and ensure their land is not
used to host terrorists.

“It also needs to be ensured that terrorism is not glorified and is
not patronized by any state. One country’s terrorist cannot be a
martyr or freedom fighter for anyone,” Singh said in his SAARC
address.

However, Rajnath Singh’s speech was reportedly blacked out as media
organisations were not allowed to cover the conference. The only
broadcaster allowed inside the venue was state-owned Pakistan
Television.

Here is the full text of Home Minister Rajnath Singh speech:

“At the outset, I congratulate H.E. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Saheb for
his election as the Chairperson of this Meeting. I also take this
opportunity to sincerely thank the Government of Pakistan for
excellent arrangements made for hosting this Meeting, and for the
outstanding hospitality extended to me and my delegation.

Right from the formation of our government more than two years ago,
India has reaffirmed that good relations with our neighbours are our
highest priority. Under our “neighbourhood first” policy, we have
spared no effort in further building our engagement, and working
together with our partners in the region, to secure peace and
prosperity for our people. I have come to this meeting with the same
purpose.

I recall that under this Forum, we last met before the Eighteenth
SAARC Summit that was held in Kathmandu in November 2014. At that
Summit, our leaders committed to deepen regional integration for
peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia. With 30 years of
SAARC’s existence, today the need is more than ever that we take
regional cooperation to a level that realizes the aspirations and
expectations of our people.

Our vision for the region, as outlined by Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modiji at the Eighteenth Summit, rests on the pillars of trade,
investments, wide-ranging development cooperation, contacts between
our people – and, all through seamless connectivity. We have
accordingly carried forward the initiatives announced by Prime
Minister. I am also happy to note that we have implemented the India
business card scheme, which would facilitate eligible business leaders
in their visits to India.

It is vital that the South Asian environment has necessary conditions
for achieving greater regional prosperity, connectivity and
cooperation, if our efforts to these objectives are to succeed.
However, we are witness to mounting threats and incidents that
endanger our region’s peace and stability. Terrorism remains the
biggest challenge and threat to our peace. South Asia continues to be
deeply affected by this malady, as witnessed most recently in cowardly
terrorist attacks in Pathankot, Dhaka, Kabul and other places. Merely
strong condemnation of such terrorist attacks is not enough. We must
harden our resolve to eradicate this menace and also take serious
steps to this end.

It also needs to be ensured that terrorism is not glorified and is not
patronized by any state. One country’s terrorist cannot be a martyr or
freedom fighter for anyone. I also speak for the entire humanity- not
just for India or other SAARC members – in urging that in no
circumstances should terrorists be eulogised as martyrs. Those who
provide support, encouragement, sanctuary, safe haven or any
assistance to terrorism or terrorists must be isolated. Strongest
possible steps need to be taken not only against terrorists and
terrorist organisations but also those individuals, institutions,
organisations or nations that support them. Only this will ensure that
the forces engaged in promoting the heinous crime of terrorism against
humanity are effectively countered.

The will and the mandate of international community against proscribed
and wanted terrorists and their organisations must also be respected
and implemented. If we are to rid ourselves of terrorism, we will have
to genuinely believe that attempts to distinguish between ‘good’ and
‘bad’ terrorists are misleading. No type of terrorism or support to it
can be justified on any grounds whatsoever. Immediate and effective
action is required against all those who support or encourage
international terrorism in any way, whether they are state actors or
non-state. Only then justice will be ensured for the victims of
terrorist attacks such as in Mumbai and Pathankot. We must have the
approach of ‘zero tolerance’ against any type of terrorism.

In our common fight against terrorism, implementation of the SAARC
Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and its Additional
Protocol becomes crucial. This also includes ensuring effective
measures so that those committing terrorist acts do not escape
prosecution and punishment, and are extradited or prosecuted.

The menace of terrorism is greatly amplified by the misuse of digital
technology. In our effort to tackle terrorism, we should look into all
possible avenues of cyber-crime, its linkages with the terrorist
world, and how these could be dealt with. Attention and efforts need
to be devoted to ensure that social media and other modern technology
is not misused for misleading especially the youth or promoting
terrorism in any way.

I am happy that all SAARC members have supported our proposal to hold
the second Meeting of the High Level Group of Eminent Experts to
Strengthen the SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism from 22-23 September
2016 in New Delhi. I thank all of you for this and hope that the
meeting will achieve its objectives.

I would also draw the attention of my esteemed colleagues to the need
for immediate ratification of the SAARC Convention on Mutual
Assistance in Criminal Matters. We have not been able to benefit from
the Convention, as some Member States are yet to ratify it. I would
urge remaining Member States to consider ratifying the Convention at
the earliest.

Trafficking of drugs and its abuse is a grave challenge which has an
immeasurable adverse impact. It is a problem which is connected with
all types of organized crime. Today, drug business generates the
highest illegal fund flows. Trafficking of drugs, coupled with the
problem of increasing circulation of fake currency, feeds into
supporting terrorism and can create economic de-stabilization in our
region. Towards implementation of the Regional Convention on Narcotic
Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, we have offered our full support
and cooperation by way of capacity building and training programmes.
There is also a felt need to achieve the full potential of the SAARC
Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk and the SAARC Drug Offences
Monitoring Desk.

Safety and security of women and children will determine the
well-being and strength of our nations. It is timely and relevant that
SAARC has accorded due priority to this area of cooperation, since new
threats are emerging with increasing access to information technology
and the changing nature of global economy. In India, we have taken a
number of new initiatives such as the ‘Track Child’ national portal
and ‘Operation Smile’ to rescue children. We shared our experience at
the Ministerial Meeting of the South Asia Initiative to End Violence
Against Children, which we were privileged to host recently. Our Prime
Minister had launched the flagship ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’
programme. It has rapidly expanded and has started contributing to
ensuring the survival, protection, education and empowerment of the
girl child.

Since this august forum also discusses our cooperation against
corruption, I would like to mention that achieving greater
transparency and good governance is a cornerstone of our policy. To
give just one example, through our financial inclusion scheme Jan Dhan
Yoyana that leverages world’s largest biometric Unique ID system
Aadhar, and Direct Benefit Transfers, we have been able to transform
our services delivery to ensure that benefits of public schemes reach
the grass-root levels.

In a few months, leaders of the region would come together in this
city of Islamabad for the 19th SAARC Summit. It is my hope that we
would be able to demonstrate to our leaders concrete progress in areas
of our mutual concern and interest that I mentioned in brief. Mr.
Chairman, the time for us to act is now.

With these few words, I express my gratitude to you and all my
esteemed colleagues.”

© The Indian Express Online Media Pvt Ltd


--
Avinash Shahi
Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU