On Saturday, India strongly condemned Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly, for reiterating the Kashmir issue.
In a Right of Reply, at the ongoing 79th Session of the UNGA, India stated that Pakistan seeks to claim Indian territory and has resorted to terrorism to undermine elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which India considers an inseparable and integral part of the country.
Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan the Indian Diplomat is the First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Lambasting Pakistani PM Mangalanandan said, “As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours.” “It has attacked our parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst.”
She further stated that it was “extraordinary” for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices in a democracy.
In his UNGA speech on Friday, Pak PM Sharif likened the situation in Jammu and Kashmir to that of Palestine, asserting that the people had “struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination.” He called on India to reverse the abrogation of Article 370, which removed Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, and urged dialogue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the “wishes of the Kashmiri people”.
He also alleged that New Delhi had turned down Islamabad’s proposal for a mutual strategic restraint framework. He brazened it out accusing Indian leaders of threatening to breach the Line of Control (LoC) into what Pakistan calls “Azad Kashmir.”
Retorting sharply to his rants, India reiterated its stance that terrorism and dialogue cannot go hand in hand, junking Pakistani PM’s remarks on strategic restraint.
“There can be no compact with terrorism. Pakistan should realize that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences,” emphasized the Indian representative.
India blasted Pakistan’s human rights record and reminded the Islamic nation of its infamous genocide in erstwhile East Pakistan, which tragically continued till it gained Independence in 1971, courtesy of India’s military intervention.
The Indian representative also highlighted the ongoing persecution of religious minorities, particularly, Hindus.
Slamming Pakistan PM’s remark, Indian representative stated that it is “ridiculous” for a nation with such a history to comment on issues of intolerance and phobias.
The young Diplomat also recounted the how Pakistan had a shoddy history of giving a safe haven to UN designated terrorists like Osama Bin Laden. She said, “The world can see for itself what Pakistan really is.”
Indian diplomat Mangalanandan, labeled Sharif’s remarks as “unacceptable” and “a travesty”. She emphasized that a country with a “global reputation for terrorism” has the “audacity to criticize” the world’s largest democracy. She also added “Our stand is clear and needs no reiteration”.
