'Cat guarding milk': Rajnath Singh hits out at UNSC over Pakistan's terror panel appointment

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. (File photo)

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday strongly criticised the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) decision to appoint Pakistan as vice-chair of its anti-terror panel, likening it to "asking the cat to protect the milk."

Speaking at an event in Dehradun, Singh highlighted that Pakistan is slated to chair the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the UNSC in 2025 and will also serve as vice-chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee.

Singh remarked, "The most recent example is that Pakistan has been made the Vice-Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Panel by the UNSC. The surprising thing is that this panel was formed after the 9/11 attacks. And we all know who carried out the 9/11 attacks. It is also not hidden from anyone that Pakistan had sheltered the mastermind of that attack. This is like asking a cat to guard the milk."

He further added that this decision is "not only shocking but also reflects the seriousness of an organisation like the UN on the issue of terrorism," emphasizing that "this is the same Pakistan whose land has been used as a safe haven for global terrorist organisations."