UNITED NATIONS, Sep 28 — In a strongly worded response at the United Nations General Assembly, India issued a stern warning to Pakistan following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address, which raised the Kashmir issue. India’s First Secretary to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, accused Pakistan of perpetuating cross-border terrorism and warned that continued support for such activities would “inevitably invite consequences.”
Ms Mangalanandan’s rebuttal criticised Mr Sharif’s call for India to reverse its 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, and his appeal for dialogue between the two nations. She described his speech as audacious, given Pakistan’s “global reputation for terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crime.”
“A country run by the military, known for harbouring terrorists, has the audacity to lecture the world’s largest democracy,” she remarked, referencing terror attacks allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan-based groups, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
She asserted that Pakistan’s “fingerprints” are on numerous terror incidents worldwide and dismissed Mr Sharif’s statements as “unacceptable”. She emphasised that any discussion on a “Strategic Restraint Regime” with Pakistan is futile unless terrorism is eradicated, declaring, “There can be no compact with terrorism.”
The Indian delegate also highlighted Pakistan’s history of sheltering terrorists like Osama bin Laden and accused it of meddling in Jammu and Kashmir to destabilise the region. She condemned Pakistan’s own human rights abuses, referencing the 1971 Bangladesh genocide and persecution of minorities, calling it “ludicrous” for Pakistan to lecture the world on intolerance.
In a Right of Reply, Pakistan dismissed India’s accusations as “baseless and misleading,” and reiterated its call for a UN-mandated referendum in Jammu and Kashmir to allow the people to decide their own future.
