Pakistan targeting Indian professionals working in Afghanistan: Govt to Parliament

New Delhi, Sep 21: India on Monday said Pakistan was targeting Indian professionals working in Afghanistan through a variety of ways and several of them engaged in various development projects have been attacked and kidnapped over the past 12 years.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, replying to a question in Lok Sabha, said Pakistan attempted to designate four Indian nationals, who had previously worked in Afghanistan, as terrorists under UN Security Council resolution 1267.

"However, the 1267 Sanctions Committee, based on its internal procedures, has not approved the request," he said.

Muraleedharan said Pakistan has been targeting Indian professionals working in Afghanistan in a variety of ways.

"Several Indians working in Afghanistan on various development projects have been attacked and kidnapped over the past 12 years. With the assistance of the government of Afghanistan, India has been able to secure the release of many Indians from captivity," he said.

Following India''s persistent efforts, the minister added that there is enhanced concern globally over terrorism emanating from Pakistan, including the activities by terrorist entities such as Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen.

"The international community strongly condemned the cross-border terrorist attack in Pulwama in February 2019. Several countries have called upon Pakistan to not allow its territory to be used for terrorism in any manner," he said.

Muraleedharan said many terrorist entities and individuals, who find shelter in Pakistan and are engaged in terror activities against India, have been proscribed by the United Nations (UN), the European Union and other countries.

"On May 1, 2019, the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee designated Masood Azhar, the leader of JeM, as a UN proscribed terrorist. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) at its plenary in June 2018, notified Pakistan in the 'Grey List' due to continuing terror financing related concerns," he said.

To a separate question, he said the total number of Indian citizens abroad who were infected with coronavirus, stood at 11,616 as on September 10.

"Of these, 373 Indians lost their lives," he said.