India said the international community would recognise Pakistan and its policies for what they are, rejecting what it described as repeated falsehoods being presented at the UN.
India on Saturday strongly responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations General Assembly, accusing Islamabad of promoting terrorism and repeating false claims. India also warned that continued cross-border terrorism would have consequences.
India’s First Secretary at the UN, Petal Gehlot, said Pakistan must stop supporting terrorism and asserted that New Delhi would exercise its right to self-defence if cross-border terrorism continued.
The response came after Sharif raised the Indus Waters Treaty at the UNGA and said any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of waters would be treated as an “act of war”.
‘Pakistan carries out terrorism at night’
Responding to Pakistan’s remarks, Gehlot referred to Osama bin Laden, saying the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks was living near Pakistan’s premier military academy.
“Today, the representative of Pakistan went out of his way to praise that very military,” Gehlot said.
She also questioned Pakistan’s claims on democracy and human rights, saying the country’s government was operating under a security cordon to protect it from its own people.
Gehlot referred to Pakistan’s 27th Constitutional Amendment and the lifetime legal immunity granted to what she described as the country’s “actual ruler”.
She further said Pakistan spoke about security during the day while carrying out terrorism at night.
“The world knows how minorities are treated in Pakistan,” she said, adding that “sweet and deceptive words” could not mislead the international community.
India: J&K ‘integral and inseparable’
On Jammu and Kashmir, Gehlot rejected Pakistan’s references to the region. “Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inseparable part of India and will always remain so,” she said.
Addressing the recent protests in PoK, she added that if Kashmir was to be discussed, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir should also be brought into the discussion. “Ask the people of Rawalakot about the killings, violence and denial of basic rights they have endured for years,” Gehlot said.
‘Terrorists will have no place to hide’
Gehlot said the central issue remained Pakistan’s “longstanding policy of cross-border terrorism”. “We demonstrated last year that there would be neither a safe haven nor a place to hide for terrorists,” she said.
India, she added, had the right to defend itself against terrorism and would exercise that right.
“If terrorism continues from Pakistan’s side, there will be consequences,” Gehlot said. She also warned that continued terrorism could affect relations that had so far been built on friendship and goodwill.
