It has become the new norm of foreign secretaries of India to routinely bash Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on the international stage where he tries so hard to come across as a leader but in the end is reduced to a minuscule figure on the world map, to whom no one pays any heed. On Saturday, Vidisha Maitra, remember the name, first Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs absolutely destroyed the toothless Pakistani PM in a composed yet scathing speech in reply to Khan’s 50-minute long speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which was filled with his regular anti-India rhetoric and where he brazenly justified terrorism, Maitra tore apart into Khan’s mumble-jumble speech by dissecting it point by point. The lady clad in saree exhibited tremendous skill and composure while delivering the speech as she remarked that, “Imran Khan’s threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as brinksmanship, not statesmanship”. The amount of flak Khan has received on this trip has been astonishing and what’s even more astonishing is the fact that he has always amplified the embarrassment whenever he has spoken, it seems like nothing perturbs Khan anymore. He is oblivious to the pain of shame after being subjected to it routinely. Guess, that’s the occupational hazard of his job.
One of the most interesting points was when she mentioned Lt. Gen A.A Khan Niazi of the Pakistan army who butchered thousands during the 1971 war and to whom Imran Khan ‘Niazi’ is known to be related to. Vidisha Maitra called out the hateful overtone used by Imran Khan, which is unbecoming of a Prime Minister, and also reminded Pakistan of its shameful persecution of minorities and its patronage of terrorists. The size of minority community in Pakistan has decreased from 23% in 1947 to 3% as of today and it has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Balochis to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions, which is a matter of grave concern.
Pakistan venturing to upstream terrorism & downstream hate speech, India mainstreaming development in Jammu & Kashmir
– Vidisha Maitra @IndiaUNNewYorkFull statement https://t.co/aQlEcssL1X pic.twitter.com/TKdadPAnWS
— Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) September 28, 2019
Imran Khan had in his speech said that he would welcome a UN delegation to come to Pakistan and look for themselves about the terror camps that operate from Pakistan to which Vidisha Maitra posed a few pointy questions:
- 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?
- And would Prime Minister Khan deny to the city of New York that he was an open defender of Osama bin Laden?
“What we heard today from PM 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. A script that fosters divisiveness at the United Nations. Attempts to sharpen differences and stir up hatred, are simply put, hate speech.” said Maitra, calling out the cricketer-turned-puppet politician. “While Pakistan has ventured to upstream terrorism and downstream hate speech there, India is going ahead with mainstreaming development in Jammu and Kashmir.” she said, giving it back to the PTI leader whose agenda topic reads only one point and that is Kashmir.
Vidisha Maitra is a 2009 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service. In 2008, she passed the civil services examination in which she got an All India Rank of 39th. In 2009, she received the Gold Medal of ‘Best Officer Trainee’ from the Ministry of External Affairs. Therefore it should not come as a surprise when she denigrated Imran Khan in her polite yet scathing speech. She reminded the ISI-backed PM while signing off that
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.
