FM urges int’l community to address state-sponsored terrorism

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has urged the international community to hold the perpetrators of state terrorism and crimes against humanity to account.

In his remarks at the High-Level Ministerial Session of UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, he said we must distinguish terrorism from legitimate struggle for self-determination.

The Foreign Minister said we must address state-sponsored terrorism, especially in cases of foreign occupation and reject occupying powers’ propensity to use brute force against occupied people in the name of counter-terrorism operations.

He said for the last two decades, Pakistan has been one of the worst victims of terrorism – with over 80,000 causalities and economic losses exceeding 150 billion dollars.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said we must have a consensus definition of terrorism and take into account new and emerging threats.

He also paid homage to the oppressed people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine for their continuing suffering as victims of the worst forms of state-terrorism.