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Saturday, 23 September 2017

Strident Pakistan presses for UN envoy on Kashmir

Addressing the General Assembly, Abbasi accuses India of rights violations

Pakistan on Thursday blamed India and Afghanistan for the volatile security situation in the region, while denying charges that it is harbouring terrorists who target both the countries.

Striking a strident note against the neighbours and portraying Pakistan as a victim of terrorism, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also sought the appointment of a special UN envoy on Kashmir, and accused India of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr. Abbasi’s claims and allegations were refuted by both India and Afghanistan at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). In a strongly worded reaction, India said Pakistan had become a “terroristan,” and Jammu and Kashmir would remain an integral part of India.

Eenam Gambhir, First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India, said, “In its short history, Pakistan has become a geography synonymous with terror. The quest for a land of pure has actually produced “the land of pure terror.” Pakistan is now ‘terroristan,’ with a flourishing industry producing and exporting global terrorism,” she said.

A representative of Pakistan responded to India’s reply, naming National Security Adviser Ajit Doval for allegedly pursuing a strategy of aggression against Pakistan.

The Pakistan PM told the UNGA that another strike by India on territory under its control would invite a matching retaliation. “…if India does venture across the LoC or acts upon its doctrine of “limited” war against Pakistan, it will evoke a strong and matching response,” he said, adding that his country had “faced unremitting hostility” from India.

He said India was trying to “divert the world’s attention from its brutalities,” by ceasefire violations on the LoC. “The Kashmir dispute should be resolved justly, peacefully and expeditiously. Terming the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir the “most intense foreign military occupation in recent history,” Mr. Abbasi sought an international investigation into “India’s crimes in Kashmir.”

The Pakistan PM said India has responded to Kashmiris’ demand for self-determination “with massive and indiscriminate force…shooting indiscriminately at children, women and youth,” adding that this “constitute war crimes.”

Ms. Gambhir said Pakistan has been trying to dupe the rest of the world on the question of fighting terror. Islamabad has diverted international military and development aid towards creating “a dangerous infrastructure of terror on its own territory,” she said. “Pakistan is now speaking of the high cost of its terror industry. The polluter, in this case, is paying the price,” she said, adding that Pakistan’s “globalisation of terror is unparalleled.” “Pakistan can only be counseled to abandon a destructive worldview that has caused grief to the entire world. If it could be persuaded to demonstrate any commitment to civilization, order, and to peace, it may still find some acceptance in the comity of nations,” the Indian diplomat said. Mr. Abbasi had said in his speech that Pakistan’s counter-terrorism credentials cannot be questioned. “After 9/11 it was Pakistani efforts that enabled the decimation of Al-Qaeda,” he said. Mr. Abbasi said 27,000 Pakistanis have died in its fight against terrorism. “We took the war to the terrorists. We have paid a heavy price,” Mr. Abbasi said.

Mr, Abbasi blamed Afghanistan for the security situation in the country, denying any role for Pakistan in supporting the Taliban. On the contrary, terrorists based in Afghanistan were launching attacks on Pakistan, its PM claimed. Urging Pakistan to adopt a “constructive approach” in tackling terrorism in the region, Afghanistan said facts disprove Pakistan’s claim.

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