Samjhauta Express attack: Pakistan reiterates call for justice

On the fifteenth anniversary of the atrocious terrorist attack on the Samjhauta Express, which killed 68 innocent passengers, including 44 Pakistanis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Hindutva fanaticism and "Saffron terror" that drove the barbaric attack 15 years ago had intensified exponentially under India's present leadership.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asim Iftikhar Ahmad  said that the Indian Charge d'Affaires in Islamabad was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and apprised of Pakistan's grave disappointment with the Indian government's callous attitude toward the plight of Pakistani nationals' families who continue to await justice fifteen years later.

The Charge d'Affaires was urged to convey to the Government of India in the strongest possible terms Pakistan's condemnation of the heinous conviction and exoneration of all accused in the heinous terrorist attack, including Swami Aseemanand, an RSS activist who publicly confessed to being the mastermind of the egregious attack, said the Foreign Office statement.

"This was another example of the brazen impunity and complete state protection that terrorists enjoy in BJP-ruled India," stated the FO spokesperson in a statement.

The Charge d'Affaires was also entrusted for conveying to the Indian government Pakistan's desire for a fair trial and the prosecution of those responsible for the Samjhauta Express terrorist attack, its stated, adding that families of innocent Pakistani nationals who were ruthlessly murdered by Hindutva-inspired militants need closure, it stated.

Additionally, the Pakistan's Foreign Office strongly urged India to cease the use of terrorism as a tool of state policy and to adhere to its duties under the international legal framework controlling terrorism, it was stated.