United Nations: Warning Pakistan of India’s resolve to defend itself against cross-border terrorism, India said Islamabad would have to face the repercussions of sponsoring terrorism.
“Pakistan must credibly and irrevocably end its support for all forms of terrorism”, India’s Permanent Representative P Harish demanded on Tuesday at the Security Council.
“Pakistan will have to accept that there are consequences to its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism”, he said.
He declared, “India has every right to defend itself from such cross-border terrorism”.
Harish was responding to Pakistan Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad’s off-topic diatribe against India during the Council debate on “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-Centred International System”.
Harish took a swipe against Ahmad’s claims of upholding the UN Charter.
“The use of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan and its doctrine of bleeding India by 1,000 cuts exposes its hollow rhetoric and the rhetoric of commitment to the UN Charter”, he said.
“Pakistan’s harnessing of the malevolent forces of terrorism, religious extremism, violent radicalism, and anti-India rhetoric has continued unabated since its creation”, Harish said.
Ahmad asserted that Council resolutions on Kashmir had not been able to resolve the issue and implied it was because of India.
“For nearly eight decades, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has remained unresolved despite clear and multiple Security Council resolutions promising the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination”, Ahamd claimed.
However, it was Pakistan that had defied the fundamental demand of the Council on Kashmir.
Security Council Resolution 47 adopted on April 21, 1948, requires the Pakistani government to withdraw from Kashmir all its “tribesmen” — soldiers in disguise — and nationals and to stop aiding those fighting there – the terrorists.
Pakistan has complied with neither demand, sending any Council involvement in Kashmir into the oblivion of history.
Kashmir “had become a part of India as a result of their complete, legal and irrevocable accession”, Harish said.
“Pakistan, by waging several wars and inflicting unprovoked aggression against India and through its continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, has violated the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and peaceful coexistence”, he added.
Tenacious in its forlorn obsession with Kashmir, Pakistan came back as the Council session was about to be suspended, saying it was exercising its right of reply to Harish with a pre-prepared screed that included attacks on what it called “Hindutva”.
India loftily ignored it, rather than consider it worthy of serious consideration.
(IANS)
