Glorification of Burhan Wani is self-incrimination by Pak PM Sharif: India

Slamming Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for glorifying slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani at the UN, India on Thursday said his remarks show Pakistan’s continued attachment to terrorism.

“Pak PM Sharif at #UNGA glorifies Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani in UN’s highest forum. Shows continued Pak attachment to terrorism,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Minister of state for external affairs, MJ Akbar said that it was “shocking” that a leader of a nation can “glorify a self- declared self-advertised terrorist” at a forum such as the United Nations General Assembly.

“We heard the glorification of a terrorist. Burhan Wani was a self-declared commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, this organisation is widely acknowledged internationally as a terrorist group,” Akbar said at a briefing to Indian reporters responding to Sharif’s General Debate address at the UN.

“This is self-incrimination by the Pakistan Prime Minister. We just heard a speech full of threat, bluster and what can only be described as rising immaturity and complete disregard of facts,” Akbar said.

Read: Pak is ‘terrorist state’, carries out war crimes: India at UNGA

In his nearly 20-minute speech, almost half of which was focussed on Kashmir, Sharif hailed Wani as the “symbol” of the Kashmiris’ freedom movement. He said a “new generation” of Kashmiris has risen spontaneously against India’s “illegal occupation - demanding freedom from occupation”.

During his address to the UN General Assembly session on Thursday, Sharif raked up Kashmir issue and described Wani as a “young leader”.

Pakistan Prime Minister said Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8, has “emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement”.

Sharif also claimed that he had gone the extra mile to offer “a dialogue to address all outstanding issues but India has posed unacceptable preconditions to engage in a dialogue.”

Responding to Sharif’s allegations, Swarup said India’s only condition for talks is an end to terrorism.

“PM Sharif at #UNGA says India poses unacceptable conditions to dialogue. India’s only condition is an end to terrorism. This not acceptable,” Swarup said.

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