Pakistan’s bid to keep cross-border terrorism in Kashmir out of the UN-sponsored International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings has invited strong criticism from the United Kingdom and France.The convention seeks to make it obligatory on signatories to adopt measures which will punish a range of criminal and terrorist acts. But to prevent its ratification in its present form, Islamabad quietly slipped in a line: ‘‘Nothing in this convention shall be applicable to struggles, including armed struggle, for the realisation of self-determination launched against any alien or foreign occupation or domination, in accordance with international law.’’This legal googly, introduced in September last year, was noticed only when UN Secretary General Kofi Annan circulated the Pakistani declaration on February 3. While France objected to Islamabad’s amendments on February 20, Britain came up with its statement against Pakistan on March 28.New Delhi too was quick to notice the quiet move by Islamabad to hoodwink the international community. It has apparently directed its Permanent Mission at the United Nations to object and point to the fact that Pakistan’s position undermines the legal architecture within which the 12 conventions on terrorism, including this convention, have been formulated.The matter was discussed with France at Monday’s meeting of the Indo-French Joint Working Group on Terrorism. Similar deliberations will be made in such fora that India shares with other countries. For South Block, this bid by Pakistan only reflects that the country has not made any strategic shift despite recent tom-tomming of its credentials as a committed member of the international coalition against terrorism. In fact, sources said, Pakistan continues to keep Kashmir at the heart of its policy towards global counter-terrorism measures.Both UK and France have objected to Pakistan’s rider as it goes against the very spirit of the convention which makes it clear that these acts cannot be justfied under any considerations be it ‘‘political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other similar nature and are punished with penalties consistent with their grave nature.’’In fact, Britain on March 28 said: ‘‘The Government of UK considers the declaration by Pakistan to be a reservation that seeks to limit the scope of the convention on a unilateral basis and which is contrary to its object and purpose, namely the supression of terrorist bombings, irrespective of where they take place and who carries them out.’’Prominent EU members like The Netherlands and Spain too have reacted sharply to the Pakistan-sponsored amendments. In ratifying this convention, Islamabad will have to develop a set of mechanisms including domestic legislations to ensure that perpetrators of terrorist acts be punished adequately.
