At the United Nations on Friday (24 September), India exercised its right of reply after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan again brought the Kashmir issue during his virtual speech in the UN General Assembly.
“Regrettably, this is not the first time the leader of Pakistan has misused platforms provided by the UN to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country, and seeking in vain to divert the world’s attention from the sad state of his country where terrorists enjoy free pass while the lives of ordinary people, especially those belonging to the minority communities, are turned upside down, said Sneha Dubey, a First Secretary in India’s UN Mission
“Member States are aware that Pakistan has an established history and policy of harbouring, aiding and actively supporting terrorists,” she said.
“This is a country that has been globally recognized as one openly supporting, training, financing and arming terrorists as a matter of State policy. It holds the ignoble record of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council,” added Dubey.
Watch: India exercises its right of reply at the #UNGA @AmbTSTirumurti @MEAIndia @harshvshringla pic.twitter.com/YGcs28fYYa
— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) September 25, 2021
The young diplomat also mentioend the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack and its Pakistan connection, and Dubey said, “We marked the solemn occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks a few days back. The world has not forgotten that the mastermind behind that dastardly event, Osama Bin Laden, got shelter in Pakistan. Even today, Pakistan leadership glorify him as a martyr.”
“Regrettably, even today we heard the leader of Pakistan trying to justify acts of terror. Such defence of terrorism is unacceptable in the modern world,” she said.
Dubey also highlighted Paksitan’s hypocrasy and rhetoric of calling themselves the “victim of terrorism” and said, “This is the country which is an arsonist disguising itself as a firefighter,” she added. However, it was professor C Christine Fair who had made that origianl quote which India used to its full advantage.
She thensaid, “Pakistan nurtures terrorists in their backyard in the hope that they will only harm their neighbours. Our region, in fact, the entire world has suffered because of their policies. “On the other hand, they are trying to cover up sectarian violence in their country as acts of terror,” Dubey said.
Dubey then attacked Pakistan on its suppression its minorities and said, “Today, the minorities in Pakistan, the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, live in constant fear and state-sponsored suppression of their rights. This is a regime where anti-Semitism is normalised by its leadership and even justified,”.
Responding to Khan’s claims about the treatment of minorities in India, Dubey said: “Pluralism is a concept which is very difficult to understand for Pakistan which constitutionally prohibits its minorities from aspiring for high offices of the State. The least they could do is introspect before exposing themselves to ridicule on the world stage.
“Unlike Pakistan, India is a pluralistic democracy with a substantial population of minorities who have gone on to hold highest offices in the country including as President, Prime Minister, Chief Justices and Chiefs of Army staff. India is also a country with a free media and an independent judiciary that keeps a watch and protects our Constitution.”
Regarding As for Khan Naizi’s allegations of “war crimes” by India, Dubey mentioned the genocide perpetrated in earstwhile East Pakistan now Bangladesh in 1971 in which more than 300,0000 people were killed by Pakistan and hundreds of thousand women raped.
Pakistan “still holds the despicable record in our region of having executed a religious and cultural genocide against the people of what is now Bangladesh. As we mark the 50th anniversary this year of that horrid event in history, there is not even an acknowledgement, much less accountability”, she said.
Giving fitting reply to Pakistan for using the esteemed August body as an annual ritual of using the General Assembly session to attack India, regardless of the topic.
Dubey declared: “Let me reiterate here that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.”
On the conditions for peace, she said: “We desire normal relations with all our neighbours, including Pakistan. However, it is for Pakistan to work sincerely towards creating a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible actions to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross border terrorism against India in any manner.”
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