Stressing the need for upholding rights of all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, language or creed, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday that people should be allowed to protest in peace without fear of being jailed. His remarks come just days after the US spoke out in support of freedom of expression after Amnesty International was slapped with a sedition charge in Bengaluru.
“The US and India will have to keep faith in our democratic values and uphold the freedom that defines our countries,” Kerry said addressing a session at IIT-Delhi here.
He, however, singled out corruption and bad governance as one of the main reasons for leaving youngsters frustrated.
“We have to work cooperatively and in good faith that terrorists have no place to run, no place to hide and no place to plan and prepare the future,” he said.
Kerry said one must not allow terrorists to succeed and it was important to strike at the root cause. He said a society which does not give equal opportunities to its citizens makes them a potential extremist or terrorist.
He further said that it is clear that Pakistan has to do more for eliminating sanctuaries of terror on its soil and push harder against indigenous groups engaged in terrorist activities. However, at the same time he pointed out that Pakistan itself has also been a victim of terrorism and lost over 50,000 people.
“It is clear that Pakistan has work to do in order to push harder against its indigenous groups that are engaged in terrorist activities. They must work with us to help clear sanctuary of bad actors who are affecting not only India- Pakistan relationship but also our ability to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Kerry said.
In what is seen as a clever balancing act, while pitching for strong action by Pakistan against terror outfits, Kerry said when Islamabad takes action there is usually “pretty intense pushback and blowback which makes it harder”.
He said terror groups like Daesh, Al Qaeda, leT and JeM cannot be fought by a single nation. leading nations can no longer ignore threats beyond its borders, he maintained even as he appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending an invitation to Sharif, who came for his oath-taking ceremony.