Terror Is Pakistan's 'Favourite Child', PM Narendra Modi Says In Goa: 10 Points

In his address to BIMSTEC, PM Modi said, "This country in India's neighbourhood embraces and radiates terrorism. Terrorism has become its favourite child, and the child has come to define the character and nature of parent".

Emphasising on the message to isolate Pakistan, he said, "Those who nurture the philosophy of terror must be sent a clear message to mend their ways or be isolated in the civilised world."

The BRICS nations -- a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- have agreed that combating terror, including cross-border terror, will be their "key priority", he said earlier at the plenary session of BRICS.

"Selective approaches to terrorist organisation and individuals" will be counterproductive. "Criminality should be the only basis for action against individuals and organisations carrying out terrorist acts," he added.

Earlier, PM Modi had called Pakistan the "mother-ship" of terrorism. "This country shelters not just terrorists. It nurtures a mindset... that loudly proclaims that terrorism is justified for political gains," the foreign ministry quoted him as saying at a closed-door meet of the BRICS leaders.

At the Goa summit of BRICS -- a grouping set up in 2011 to make emerging economies a global force -- India also pushed for unity to remove the logjam at the United Nations on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism for effectively dealing with terror.

Later in the evening, the BRICS members met the leaders of BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation - including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand --  for an outreach meet.

Reacting to PM Modi's comments, Pakistan said he was "misleading" the BRICS nations. "Pakistan's sacrifices in the war against terrorism are well acknowledged and repeatedly appreciated by the leadership of most countries in the world," said a statement from Sartaz Aziz, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's advisor on foreign affairs.

Yesterday, during their bilateral talks PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed that terror was a scourge for the region. China, which has a strong alliance with Pakistan, however, steered clear of any commitment on action against it or terrorist Masood Azhar, the leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

China's ambivalence contrasted with the clear stand taken by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, during the bilateral meet with PM Modi on Saturday, condemned the Uri attack in which 19 soldiers were killed by Pakistani terrorists.