United Nations, Sept 29:
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar sounded a stern warning to Pakistan that cross-border terrorism will face retaliation, saying that Islamabad is facing ‘karma’ for the terrorist attacks it launched on others.
“Let me make India’s position clear. Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed, and it can have no expectation of impunity”, he said on Saturday. “On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences”, he declared at the General Assembly’s high-level session. This was one of India’s strongest, unabashed warnings to Islamabad from an international forum.
He dismissed as “bizarre” Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s attacks on India at his speech on Friday and a junior diplomat’s statement responding to India’s rebuttal.
Of Islamabad’s ideological commitment to terrorism, he said, “When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism.”
Excoriating Pakistan for the terrorist attacks launched against other countries and its export of terrorism. EAM Jaishankar said, “Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can’t blame the world; this is only ‘karma’.”
He was alluding to a Pakistan consumed by internal disorder as its fractious politics and religious divisions are roiled by violence and its economy in shambles begs for bailouts.
“Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan,” he said of the consequences it faces internally as a result of promoting terrorism.
He added that, unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood.EAM Jaishankar referred to China’s role in protecting Pakistan-based terrorists from UN sanctions.
Without naming China, he said, “The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons.”He added that terrorism is antithetical to everything that the world stands for.“All its forms of and manifestations must be resolutely opposed,” he added.
In a strong rebuttal to allegations made by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his address at UNGA, the Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalananda highlighted that Pakistan had used “terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir.”
“The truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India. A reference has been made to some proposals of strategic restraint,” she said.
Shehbaz Sharif claimed that India was “engaged in massive expansion of its military capabilities,” which are essentially deployed against Pakistan.
India has already made it clear after the Pulwama attack in 2019 that it wants normal bilateral ties with Pakistan, adding that it is incumbent upon them to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostilities.
India has also provided evidence at various international forums of Pakistan’s support for terrorist groups.
