India on Saturday hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's address to the United Nations General Assembly, accusing Islamabad of terrorism, deceit and duplicity and warning that its support for cross-border terrorism will have consequences.
Exercising India's right of reply, First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot strongly rejected Pakistan's remarks on India and Jammu and Kashmir, while also taking aim at Islamabad's record on terrorism, democratic rights and treatment of minorities.
“At the heart of the issue is the long-standing practice of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan. We demonstrated last year that terrorists will have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised and continued. Terrorism by Pakistan will have consequences,” Gahlot said.
"We are confident that this Assembly will recognise Pakistan and its policies for what they really are, not what its representative mendaciously projects it to be. Reiterating falsehoods year after year does not make them true. Pakistan's terrorism, deceit and duplicity will neither benefit it nor the world," Petal Gahlot told the Assembly.
Deep Dive
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India responds to Sharif's remarks
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India responds to Sharif's remarks
{{/usCountry}}Gahlot also took aim at Sharif's remarks on democratic rights and human values, accusing Pakistan's military establishment of wielding real power.
"We heard some hypocritical homilies about democratic rights and human values from a regime whose capital at this very moment is being fortified against its own people. And that, Mr President, is happening because this is a regime of the army, by the army, and for the army.Their puppets may come and go, but let us have no illusion about who calls the shots. The reality of Pakistan is expressed in its 27th Amendment and the lifelong immunity granted to its real ruler," she said.
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India questions Islamabad's criticism
The Indian diplomat also pointed to Osama bin Laden's presence near the Pakistani Army's premier academy, while questioning Islamabad's criticism of India.
"This afternoon, the General Assembly heard some bizarre remarks from the representative of Pakistan. This happens just a fortnight after New York City and the world marked the 25th anniversary of the horrendous 9-11 terrorist attack. This context is important to keep in mind because its mastermind, Osama bin Laden, was living right on the doorstep of the Pakistani Army's premier academy. This was the very entity which was the subject of such deep genuflection before us today by the representative of Pakistan. But all this is only to be expected from what Pakistanis themselves call a Form 47 government"
Gahlot further accused Pakistan of hypocrisy over religious intolerance and minority rights.
"The views we heard emanate from those with a long record of bigotry and hatred. They claim to uphold security during the day; they actually carry out terrorism at night. This assembly was subjected to remarks about religious intolerance from the very regime whose mainstay is blasphemy laws. The world knows how minorities are treated in Pakistan. No pious platitude can mislead it," she added.
Sharif had also raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in his UNGA address. Rejecting Pakistan's remarks, India reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and instead drew attention to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
India's response came after Sharif's address, in which he also raised the Indus Waters Treaty and India's Operation Sindoor. New Delhi has consistently rejected Pakistan's claims over Jammu and Kashmir and maintained its right to respond to cross-border terrorism.