India criticises Pak for glorifying militant Wani

India on Sunday lambasted Pakistan for glorifying Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, who was killed by the security agencies last July.

Criticising Pakistan for its public support to Wani, India asserted that Islamabad’s terror support and sponsorship need to be condemned by “one and all”.

“First @ForeignOfficePk read from banned LeT’s script. Now Pak COAS (Pakistan army chief) glorifies Burhan Wani. Pak’s terror support and sponsorship need to be condemned by one and all,” tweeted the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay.

The Indian reaction follows a strong public support from Pakistan with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday paying rich tributes to Wani, observing that his death “infused a new spirit in the struggle for freedom” in Kashmir.

Pakistan army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, too, praised Wani. The Indian security establishment considers Wani as a militant leader, who not only planned attacks against the security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, but was also a popular recruiter who lured Kashmiri youth to join militancy.

Ever since he was killed, the northern state erupted in protests against the security establishment and the administration.  The clashes with the security agencies led to the killing of nearly 100 people from the state, so far, with many more sustaining serious eye injuries from pellet guns used by the government forces to quell the protests.

The army and paramilitary forces have intensified their operations in Jammu and Kashmir with the deployment of additional forces.

The MEA’s reaction comes days after London’s Birmingham City Council withdrew permission to the organisers of a rally to commemorate Wani’s death, following a strong protest by the Indian high commission.

India issued a note verbale to the UK foreign office, asking London to stop the rally, which was billed as a ‘Kashmir Rally’. The officials suspect Islamabad’s hand behind the rally.