'Army, by the Army, for the Army': India tears into Pakistan at UN, warns terrorism will have consequencess
New York, Sep 26 (UNI) India mounted a sharp attack on Pakistan at the United Nations, accusing Islamabad of practising cross-border terrorism, questioning its democratic credentials and warning that continued terrorism would have consequences.
Exercising India's Right of Reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's address to the UN General Assembly, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN, Petal Gahlot, hit back at Pakistan's remarks on India and Jammu and Kashmir. Taking aim at Pakistan's political system and military establishment, Gahlot said, "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." Referring to Pakistan's 27th Constitutional Amendment, she said,
"The reality of Pakistan is expressed in its 27th Amendment and the lifelong immunity granted to its real ruler." Gahlot opened her response by invoking the September 11, 2001, attacks and the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. "This afternoon, the General Assembly heard some bizarre remarks from the representative of Pakistan," she said, noting that they came shortly after the world marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
"This context, Mr. President, is important to keep in mind because its mastermind, Osama bin Laden, was living right on the doorstep of Pakistani Army's Premier Academy," she said, referring to his presence in Abbottabad, where he was killed by US forces in 2011. Referring to the Pakistani military establishment, she added, "This was the very entity which was the subject of such deep genuflection before us today by the representative of Pakistan."
Gahlot also questioned the legitimacy of Pakistan's government, saying criticism of India was "only to be expected from what Pakistanis themselves call a Form 47 government". Rejecting Pakistan's references to democratic rights and human values, she said, "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." "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 said. Gahlot also accused Pakistan of hypocrisy over terrorism and religious intolerance. "They claim to uphold security during the day. They actually carry out terrorism at night," she said. On Pakistan's references to religious intolerance, she said the UN had heard such remarks from "the very regime whose mainstay is blasphemy laws", adding that "the world knows how minorities are treated in Pakistan". Rejecting Pakistan's references to Jammu and Kashmir, Gahlot said, "This is an integral and inalienable part of my country and will always remain so."
Turning to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, she urged the international community to focus on the situation there. "But if we must talk about Kashmir, let us turn our attention to the Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir," she said, referring to "the wanton killings, the brutal violence, and the denial of basic rights" allegedly experienced by people there. The sharpest warning from India came over Pakistan's alleged support for cross-border terrorism. "At the heart of the issue, Mr. President, is the longstanding practice of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan," Gahlot said.
She added, "We demonstrated last year that terrorists will have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide." Reaffirming India's right to self-defence, she said, "Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised, and continued terrorism by Pakistan will have consequences." Gahlot warned that continued terrorism could also affect the broader India-Pakistan relationship."It will understandably call into question what were premised on friendship and goodwill," she said.
Gahlot accused Pakistan of repeatedly presenting false claims before the international community. "We are confident that this Assembly will recognize Pakistan and its policies for what they really are, not what its representative mendaciously projects it to be," she said. In a pointed closing remark, she said, "Reiterating falsehoods year after year does not make them true.""Pakistan's terrorism, deceit, and duplicity will neither benefit it nor the world," Gahlot said.
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