Pakistan stood exposed after terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba claims responsibility for the Uri terror attack that killed 20 Indian soldiers in September. The claim assumes significance after Pakistan government’s constant and unswerving denial for being responsible for the attack on the Army base camp in Uri. Lashkar teams have staged a series of increasingly bold attacks on Indian military units over the past year, notably one on soldiers of 24 Punjab Regiment and 31 Field Regiment near Uri last year, which claimed the lives of eight soldiers and three police personnel. In that case, global positioning set data showed the team had originated in the town of Chham, across the Line of Control, but the perpetrators remain unidentified. Howsoever the terror group has denied the existence of any poster claiming funeral of a terrorist involved in the Uri attack in absentia but it does belie the claim of Pakistan administration both civil and army on not giving shelter and patronage to terror groups. On the other hand China too has toed the same line when it comes to declare Masood Azhar a terrorist. China’s first technical hold on naming Azhar a terrorist came six months ago. India’s application to this end had come following Azhar’s alleged involvement in the Pathankot terrorist attack. China’s extension of the technical hold will last three months. One side China says it firmly supports combating all forms of terrorism, stronger international cooperation against terrorism, and supports the central and coordinating role of the UN in international counter-terrorism cooperation but on the other it supports terrorists like Azhar openly. The only one logic which stands ground for such dual stand could be the large investment it is having in Pakistan. China’s stand has made Pakistan bolder especially after the global isolation over its continued role in support of terrorism. Can Pakistan now say No? It won’t hesitate to do so.
