Complicity of Pakistan in Pulwama attack was underlined at PM's talks with Saudi Crown Prince: MEA

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday agreed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the "need for creating necessary conditions" for resumption of Indo-Pak talks as the Indian side underlined Pakistan's "complicity" in the Pulwama terror attack, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

S Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, while briefing the media on the talks between Modi and Mohammed bin Salman, said, "complicity of Pakistan in Pulwama (attack) was very much underlined" and that both the leaders condemned the terror strike in the "strongest terms."

"They agreed on the need for creating necessary conditions for any resumption of (Indo-Pak) talks," he said.

The Saudi Crown Prince appreciated the consistent efforts made by PM Modi since May 2014, including his personal initiatives to have friendly relations with Pakistan, Tirumurti said.

He said both the leaders underlined the importance of comprehensive sanctioning of terrorists and terrorist organisations by the United Nations.

This assumes significance as a Pakistan-Saudi Arabia joint statement issued two days back after the talks between the Saudi Crown Prince and Pakistani Prime Minister in Islamabad had said that there should be no "politicisation" of the UN listing regime.

Asked about this element of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia joint statement at the media briefing, Tirumurti said, "If you're really looking at politicisation (of the UN listing regime), you know who is politicising it."

The Secretary said both the leaders called on all countries to reject the use of terrorism against other countries, dismantle terror infrastructure and cut off all support to terrorism besides punishing the terrorists.

On February 14, around 40 CRPF personnel were killed when a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist attacked their convey in Pulwama's Awantipora district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan-based JeM claimed responsibility for the attack.