New York: India termed it a “travesty” that Pakistan, which has “a global reputation for terrorism,” has the “audacity to attack” the world’s largest democracy and raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir on the platform of the United Nations.
The First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, Bhavika Mangalanandan on Friday (local time) called out Pakistan’s “hypocrisy” for raking up Kashmir and questioning the Jammu and Kashmir election in India’s Right to Reply at the ongoing 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In a strong rebuttal to allegations made by Pakisan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his address at UNGA, the Indian diplomat highlighted that Pakistan had used “terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir”.
“The truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India. A reference has been made to some proposals of strategic restraint,” she said.
“This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade, and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM,” Mangalanandan said.
The Indian diplomat brought up the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament.
“Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours,” Mangalanandan stated. “It has attacked our parliament, our financial capital Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long,” she said
“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,” said the Indian diplomat.
Delivering India’s Right of Reply at the UNGA, she said, “There can be no compact with terrorism. In fact, Pakistan should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.”