Pakistan demands justice for victims of Samjhauta Express blasts

Pakistan reiterated its demand for justice for victims of the Samjhauta Express blasts, summoning on Friday Indian Charge d’Affaires to "convey its severe disappointment at the neighbour's callousness towards the plight of the families of the victims".

"Today marks the 15th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack on the Samjhauta Express that claimed the lives of 68 innocent passengers including 44 Pakistani nationals," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement.

"The Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was conveyed Pakistan’s severe disappointment at Indian Government’s callousness towards the plight of the families of the Pakistani nationals who await justice even after the passage of fifteen years," the Foreign Office (FO) stated.

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The FO added that it conveyed Pakistan's "alarm that the Hindutva extremism and “Saffron terror” that had motivated the inhuman attack 15 years ago has intensified manifolds under the current regime in India".

"The Charge d’Affaires was asked to convey to Government of India in the strongest terms, Pakistan’s condemnation of the shameless acquittal and exoneration of all accused in dastardly terrorist attack, including Swami Aseeman and, an RSS activist, who publicly confessed of being the mastermind of the heinous attack.

"This was just another manifestation of the brazen impunity and full state protection that perpetrators of terrorism enjoy in the BJP-ruled India," the FO said.

He was also asked to convey to the Indian government Pakistan’s demand for a fair trial and for bringing the perpetrators and abettors of Samjhauta Express terrorist attack to justice, the FO added. The families of the innocent Pakistani nationals, mercilessly killed at the hands of the Hindutva-motivated extremists, deserve closure.

"The Government of Pakistan strongly calls upon India to renounce the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy and faithfully implement its obligations under international legal regime governing terrorism."