United Nations: India has hit back at both Pakistan and China’s remarks over Kashmir made at the UN General Assembly.
Strongly hitting back at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s rant, India has said its citizens do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf and “least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate.”
“Every word spoken from the podium of this august Assembly, it is believed, carries the weight of history. Unfortunately, what we heard today from Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan was a callous portrayal of the world in binary terms. Us Vs Them; Rich Vs Poor; North Vs South; Developed Vs Developing; Muslims Vs Others. Attempts to sharpen differences and stir up hatred, are simply put — ‘hate speech’,” First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Vidisha Maitra said.
Maitra said that rarely has the General Assembly witnessed such “misuse, rather abuse”, of an opportunity to reflect.
“Words matter in diplomacy. Invocation of phrases such as “pogrom”, “bloodbath”, “racial superiority”, “pick up the gun” and “fight to the end” reflect a medieval mindset and not a 21st century vision.”
Maitra said Khan’s “threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as brinksmanship, not statesmanship.”
“Even coming from the leader of a country that has monopolised the entire value chain of the industry of terrorism, Prime Minister Khan’s justification of terrorism was brazen and incendiary,” she said.
“Citizens of India do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf, least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate,” she said.
Maitra added that after having “mainstreamed terrorism and hate speech,” Pakistan is trying to play its wild card as the new found champion of human rights.
In his address, Khan had invited UN Observers to Pakistan to verify that there are no militant organisations in Pakistan.
Maitra said the world will hold him to that promise. She said a few questions that Pakistan can respond to as a precursor to the proposed verification, is that would Khan “deny to the city of New York that he was an open defender of Osama bin Laden?”
“Can Pakistan confirm the fact that it is home to 130 UN designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed by the UN, as of today?”
“Will Pakistan acknowledge that it is the only Government in the world that provides pension to an individual listed by the UN in the Al Qaeda and Da’esh Sanctions list?”
“Can Pakistan explain why here in New York, its premier bank, the Habib Bank had to shut shop after it was fined millions of dollars over terror financing?”
“Will Pakistan deny that the Financial Action Task Force has put the country on notice for its violations of more than 20 of the 27 key parameters?”
Khan, who was one a cricket player, and believed in the gentleman’s game, today gave a speech that was “bordered on crudeness of the variety that is reminiscent of the guns of Darra Adam Khel.”
She said Pakistan is a country that has shrunk the size of its minority community from 23 per cent in 1947 to 3 per cent today and has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Balochis to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions.
Asserting that while Pakistan has ventured to upstream terrorism and downstream hate speech there, India is going ahead with mainstreaming development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, India on Saturday took strong exception to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in his address at the UN General Assembly, asserting that the region is an integral part of the country and all nations should respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Raising the Kashmir issue, Wang told the UN General Assembly that the “dispute” should be peacefully and properly addressed in accordance with the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions and the bilateral agreement.
The Chinese foreign minister also stressed that no actions should be taken that would unilaterally change the “status quo” of Kashmir.
Reacting to Wang’s comments, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India, and that the recent developments relating to the region were “entirely a matter internal” to the country.
“The Chinese side is well aware of India’s position that Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India, and that the recent developments are entirely a matter internal to us,” he said.
Kumar said India expects other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. (PTI)
