New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said “Terrorism is the biggest problem the world is facing. We have to ensure that the countries that support and assist terrorists are also held guilty,” he said during the virtual meeting (because of the Covid- 19 pandemic) of the five member-nations.

He has called on the global community to ensure that countries supporting and assisting terrorists are held responsible for their actions. Speaking at a BRICS summit on Tuesday evening, the Prime Minister took no names, but his statement has been viewed as a reminder about Pakistan’s continuing support of terrorist activities.

In response to the Prime Minister’s speech Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hosted the summit, said: “…? (there is) always a black sheep in the family… some people try to impose their own agenda”. Last month the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) retained Pakistan on a “grey list” of countries that had failed to act against terrorist organisations or those acting as fronts for terror agencies.

Prime Minister Modi’s call-to-action on Tuesday follows a subtle warning to Pakistan (and China, amid a prolonged and tense border stand-off in Ladakh) delivered last week during his annual Diwali interaction with soldiers. Modi advised against taking advantage of India’s tolerance and said its soldiers would give a “prachand jawab (fierce reply)” if borders were threatened. Modi in his address on Tuesday, meanwhile, he also touched upon the need to reform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in light of contemporary challenges.

The UNSC is the UN’s highest-decision making forum and the only one that can make legally-binding decisions like imposing sanctions. India, which has previously served seven terms as a non-permanent member and will start an eighth next year, has long made its case for a permanent seat. In September, while addressing the UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister asked “Till when do we have to wait? Till when will India be kept away from the UN’s decision-making process?”