Pakistan concerned by 'state terrorism' in Kashmir: Envoy

The Pakistani ambassador to Tehran says his country rejects the dichotomization of terrorism into good and bad forms and is concerned by acts of "state-terrorism" in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

Addressing a ceremony to mark the 51st anniversary of Pakistan’s Defense Day in Tehran on Monday, Asif Ali Khan Durrani added that people in Kashmir have been bullied and coerced into submission as a result of the policy of state terrorism.

New methods of state terrorism can be seen in places where innocent people are losing their eyesight due to the use of pellet guns, he said.

Elsewhere, Durrani noted that Pakistan's large-scale counter-terror Operation Zarb-e-Azb on the border with Afghanistan has recently managed to make great achievements in the eradication of terrorism and extremism.

He emphasized that the Pakistani Armed Forces and nation have paid a heavy price for the maintenance of the country’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.

The envoy noted that the Pakistani Army's campaign against terrorism entered an important phase in the North Waziristan region in June 2014 with the launch of Zarb-e-Azb, adding that the operation shows Pakistan’s clear policy on cracking down on terrorism which has so far had favorable outcomes.

Such an achievement can have positive results not only for Pakistan but for the international community at large, particularly neighboring countries, Durrani said.

SS