Airstrike was action against terror, not India-Pakistan issue, New Delhi has told world community

The air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) camp in Balakot is not an India-Pakistan issue but a matter related to terrorism, India has told the world community, making it clear that there should be no mediation in it.

Stating this here on Tuesday, sources added that India has received no offer of mediation from any country.

Ever since India carried out the air strike on JeM terror camp in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on February 26, Pakistan has been desperately trying to rope in foreign countries to mediate.

"No offer of mediation has come from any country. India has told the world community that it is not an India-Pakistan issue. It is an issue of terrorism," the sources said while referring to the air raids on JeM training camp that followed the ghastly February 14 attack carried out by the Pakistan-based outfit on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in which 40 security personnel were killed.

The sources, while referring to the air raid, emphasised that India's focus is to fight against terror and that action in Balakot was to demonstrate that the country has the capacity to hit at terrorists.

"India will not be deterred in its war against terrorism," they said.

Expressing dissatisfaction over Pakistan's inaction against the terrorists targeting India, the sources said Pakistan is pretending to the world that it is acting on terror.

"India wants to see action on the ground. Pakistan is trying to deflect the attention," they added.

On the release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the sources said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was compelled to free him due to immense diplomatic pressure at all levels.

Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 Bison which was shot down while it was chasing transgressing Pakistani F-16 planes on February 27 and he landed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) where he was taken into captivity by the Pakistan Army.