NEW YORK: Pakistan has called India out for its history of sponsoring terrorism, rejecting New Delhi’s allegations of terrorism against Pakistan, terming it ironic given its own use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy against its neighbours.
In response to remarks made by the Indian delegation during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate on "Peace for Leadership," Gul Qaiser Sarwani, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN, delivered a strong rebuttal, addressing what he termed as "baseless and misleading" statements from Indian delegate.
Sarwani expressed his regret over India’s continued attempts to distort facts and propagate a false narrative aimed at maligning Pakistan and diverting attention from its own internal challenges and violations of international law.
He reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally-recognised disputed territory and is on the UN Security Council's agenda for over 75 years. He highlighted that the Council’s resolutions explicitly call for the final disposition of Jammu and Kashmir to be determined through a United Nations-supervised plebiscite, a decision India is bound to comply with under Article 25 of the UN Charter.
The Pakistani diplomat also rejected India's allegations of terrorism against Pakistan, terming it ironic given India’s own use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy against its neighbours.
Sarwani pointed out that India is itself a state sponsor of terrorism, running what he called a "global franchise of assassination campaigns."
He said that Pakistan possesses solid evidence of India’s sponsorship of terrorist organisations such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), both of which have carried out multiple terrorist attacks in Pakistan. He cited the arrest and conviction of Kulbhushan Jadhav, a serving Indian naval officer and an operative of India’s intelligence agency RAW, as irrefutable proof of India's state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan, including targeted assassinations.
Sarwani further noted that India’s terrorist activities have now extended globally, with recent incidents involving the assassination and attempted murder of political dissidents on North American soil.
He concluded his remarks by calling for India to end its state-sponsored terrorism, cease its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, and fulfill its obligations under international law. He emphasised that India must be held accountable for its actions, stating that the international community can no longer afford to grant India impunity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024