‘A military-run country with a history of terrorism has the audacity to criticise us,’ India’s reply to Pakistan at UNGA

She said that Pakistan has long wielded terrorism as a weapon against its neighbors, referencing past attacks on Indian institutions, including Parliament and the financial capital of Mumbai. (Image creadit: News18)

At the recent United Nations General Assembly, Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan delivered a powerful rebuttal to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's remarks, highlighting the audacity of a country with a military-led government and a global reputation for terrorism attacking the world's largest democracy.

"A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade and transnational crime has had the audacity to attack the world's largest democracy," said Mangalanandan.

In her address, Mangalanandan expressed her dismay, stating, “This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A nation known for its cross-border terrorism, narcotics trade, and transnational crime had the audacity to criticize India.” She said that Pakistan has long wielded terrorism as a weapon against its neighbors, referencing past attacks on Indian institutions, including Parliament and the financial capital of Mumbai. “The list is long,” she noted, underscoring the hypocrisy of a nation that speaks of violence while being steeped in its own.

#WATCH | At UNGA Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan replies to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, says, "This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade and transnational crime has pic.twitter.com/ZpHxE6a5Py

ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2024

Diving deeper into the issue, Mangalanandan asserted that Pakistan's actions reveal its true intentions: “It covets our territory and has continuously employed terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an integral part of India.” She dismissed any proposals for strategic restraint, stating, “There can be no compact with terrorism. Cross-border terrorism will inevitably invite consequences.”

The diplomat did not shy away from calling out Pakistan’s historical actions, saying, “It is ridiculous for a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and persecutes its minorities to lecture us about intolerance.” Mangalanandan reminded the assembly of Pakistan’s troubling history, mentioning its past hosting of Osama bin Laden and its fingerprints on numerous terrorist incidents worldwide. “It’s clear what Pakistan truly represents,” she stated, adding, “We must be clear: his words are unacceptable to all of us.”

Earlier in the session, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had stoked tensions by calling for dialogue over the Kashmir issue, declaring that Pakistan would respond decisively to any aggression from India. He claimed India’s military expansion was aimed at Pakistan and alleged that New Delhi had spurned Pakistan’s proposals for mutual strategic restraint.

In response, India has reiterated its commitment to normalizing relations with Pakistan, emphasizing that dialogue cannot occur in the shadow of terrorism. India's consistent evidence of Pakistan's support for terrorist groups underscores its position that peace can only flourish in an environment free from hostility.