Sushma hits out at Pak terror

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

WASHINGTON: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday called Pakistan “the preeminent 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 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 fol- lowed. “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 - Lashkar-e-taiba, Jaish-e-mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen 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.