SUSHMA HITS OUT AT PAK TERROR
UN ASSEMBLY ADDRESS India is recognised as IT superpower while Pak is known as terror export factory, says the foreign minister
WASHINGTON: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday called Pakistan “the pre-eminent export factory for terror” that gave its own people and the world nothing but terrorism, and accused its leaders of hypocrisy in talk and actions in regard to bringing peace to the subcontinent. The two neighbors became independent within hours of each other, Swaraj told the UN General Assembly in New York and proceeded to draw out the stark contrast in the paths they had followed. ››
WASHINGTON: External affairs minister Sushm aS war a jon Saturday called Pakistan“the preeminent export factory fort error” that gave its own people and theworld nothing but terrorism, and accused its leaders of hypocrisy in talk and actions in regard to bringing peace to the sub continent. The two neighbours became independent within hours of each other, Swaraj told the UN General Assembly in New York and proceeded to draw out the stark contrast in the paths they had followed. “We have marched ahead, consistently, without pause” and created IITs, IIMs and AIIMS and “produced scholars, doctors, engineers and scientists”, she said, addressing herself to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who had addressed the session earlier in the week.
“What have you produced? You have produced terrorists and terrorist camps.” And she went on to name a few of the groups - Las h kar-e- Taiba,Jai sh-e-Moham mad, HizbulMuja hide en and the Haqqani Network.
“Why is it that today India is a recognized IT superpower in the world, and Pakistan is recognised only as the pre-eminent export factory for terror?” she asked, setting up the subcontinental rivalry in a context often lost during the heated exchange of accusations and counter-accusations.
Swaraj called on the UN to unite to fight the evil of terrorism — saying “evil is evil” — and not to differentiate between “good” and “bad” terrorists and not allow “self-interest” to lead nations into taking duplicitous positions.
Without naming China in this context, she referred to its efforts blocking the UN designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar and asked, “If even the UN Security Council cannot agree on the listing of terrorists, how can we fight together?”
Swaraj also renewed India’s call for speeding up UN reforms to expand the Security Council with a sense of urgency, to include more permanent members — India is a leading claimant.
And she reiterated the country’s commitment to the Paris Accord on climate change, asserting it was not impelled by fear or influence or “tempted by some imagined greed”, a thinly veiled response to US President Donald Trump’ s charge that India was in it for “billions and billions in foreign aid”. Swaraj also spoke of large-scale movement of refugees (from West Asia) causing global anxiety, the return of nuclear proliferation( North Korea ), maritime security, cyber security, unemployment, gender discrimination, poverty, hunger and the progress of India’s own poverty alleviation programme.
But as anticipated, she dealt at some length on Pakistan, issuing a forceful rejoinder to the Pakistani premier, who had accused India from that podium of human rights violations in Kashmir and refusing to resume the stalled peace process.
Swaraj said, “A country that has been the world’s greatest exporter of havoc, death and in humanity became a champion of hypocrisy by preaching about humanity from this podium .” She proceeded to rebut Abbasi’s claims that while Pakistan wanted peace, it was India that was holding back. She reminded Pakistan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s offer of a “hand of peace and friendship” immediately after taking office.
“Pakistan’s Prime Minister must answer why his nation spurned this offer.” Swaraj accused Pakistan’s politicians of “forgetting” inconvenient facts such as their commitment to bilateral dialogue — as agreed in the Simla Agreement of 1971 and the Lahore Declaration in 1999— while invoking UN resolution son Kashmir that “have been long overtaken by events”.
We have marched ahead, consistently, without pause and created IITs, IIMs and AIIMS and produced scholars, doctors, engineers and scientists. What have you produced? You have produced terrorists.
SUSHMA SWARAJ, External affairs minister