Pakistan is 'mother-ship of terrorism', says Indian PM Narendra Modi at BRICS summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fresh attack on Pakistan at 2016 BRICS summit on Sunday.

Narendra Modi at BRICS summit
India has been accusing Pakistan of sponsoring cross-border terrorism Reuters

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit out at Pakistan, saying the nation is the " mother-ship of terrorism" at a summit of the BRICS nations on Sunday.

Speaking at the meeting, Modi sought action against terrorism and urged the member countries to adopt Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the soonest.

"The growing arc of terrorism today threatens the Middle East, West Asia, Europe and South Asia. Its violent footprints put at risk the security of our citizens and undercuts our efforts aimed at economic growth," said PM Modi, as reported by The Times of India.

"In our own region, terrorism poses a grave threat to peace, security and development. Tragically, the mother-ship of terrorism is a country in India's neighbourhood. Terror modules around the world are linked to this mother-ship," added the leader without directly naming Pakistan.

However, Pakistan foreign ministry was not available for immediate reaction on this comment.

The two nuclear neighbours are armed to teeth since the Kashmir attack on 18 September, where militants allegedly from Pakistan attacked an army base in Uri and killed 19 Indian soldiers.

In response, India claimed to have carried out surgical strikes along the Line of Control targeting militant hotspots.

The Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, according to The Hindu, thanked Russia for "unequivocal condemnation" of terrorism after the Uri attacked in a press conference.

The eighth BRICS summit is being hosted by India at the Taj Exotica hotel in Benaulim, Goa in the western state of Maharashtra.

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