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New York, United States of America (USA)
Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan addressing the UNGA on Friday.
India responds sharply to Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s Kashmir remarks at the UNGA
Exercising its Right of Reply at the General Assembly debate, India on Saturday gave a befitting response to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after he raked up the issue of Kashmir on the UN stage in New York.
Speaking at the 79th session of the UNGA, First Secretary of India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, said that a country run by the military, known for its notoriety in spreading terrorism, has had the “audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy.”
“This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours,” Mangalanandan said.
‘Hypocrisy at its worst’
The Indian diplomat reminded the UN members that Pakistan has attacked the Indian Parliament, as well as the country’s financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes.
“For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices that, too, in a democracy,” the Indian diplomat said. “The real truth is that Pakistan covets our territory, and in fact has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir,” she added.
Earlier on Friday, Sharif accused India of “massive expansion of its military capabilities” and of issuing threats to cross the Line of Control (LoC) to take over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. He demanded that New Delhi reverse the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, and also charged India with attempting to subjugate its Muslim population.
Pakistan routinely raises Kashmir
Pakistan routinely raises the Kashmir issue at the annual UN debate. India was expected to exercise its right of reply to counter Sharif’s allegations. Sharif said “Like the people of Palestine”, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have “struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination”.
Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, Sharif said India must reverse the “unilateral and illegal measures” to secure durable peace and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and “wishes of the Kashmiri people”. In his speech lasting about 20 minutes, Sharif claimed that instead of moving towards peace, India has moved away from its commitments to implement the Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.
As Pakistan continues to engage in propaganda operations regarding Kashmir, the Indian government unequivocally rejects all such statements, especially concerning the country’s internal matters. New Delhi has engaged with the international community at high levels regarding India’s position and Pakistan’s role in aiding and abetting terrorism in the region, particularly in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir.
