Intelligence Bureau Chief Dineshwar Sharma on Thursday urged the SAARC nations to strictly enforce internationally mandated sanctions against terrorist entities and individuals. In his opening remarks at the second Meeting of the High level Group of Eminent Experts to strengthen the SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism, the IB Director also called upon the eight member States including Pakistan to ratify and enable various Conventions enacted by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) grouping, including the Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and Additional Protocols and the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.
Mentioning the Uri attacks, Sharma said this incident is only one in a series of such dastardly acts during the last few decades for which planning, financing, training, arming and indoctrination on religious lines owe their origins to sources beyond the borders of India.
Stating that terrorism has emerged as a big challenge for the entire world, Sharma said no country today is in a position to tackle this problem on its own. Close cooperation and sharing of real-time intelligence are, therefore, imperative for all of us to secure our countries and our peoples, he added.
The IB Chief said the terrorist organisations use easily accessible technology to attack both soft and hard targets. Self-radicalisation over internet and social media, and spread of influence of Islamic State all over, including in our country, has added new dimensions to the threat, he added. Sharma said countering financing of terrorism as one of the most important tools to fight the terror menace.
He said the cyberspace has become an important area for radicalisation and spread of jihadi materials. Besides, the problem of fake currency feeds into supporting terrorism and can create economic destabilization in our region, he added.