PAKISTAN PM’S WORDS REVEAL MEDIEVAL MINDSET, OFFICIAL SAYS
India has hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s United Nations General Assembly address, saying his speech bordered on crudeness and while Islamabad has “ventured to upstream terrorism and downstream hate speech, New Delhi was going ahead with mainstreaming development in Jammu and Kashmir”.
Using strong words, Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, exercising India’s right of reply to Khan’s speech, said on Friday night: “Rarely has the General Assembly witnessed such misuse, rather abuse, of an opportunity to reflect.” She said the choice of Imran’s words to attack India, like “pogrom”, “bloodbath”, “racial superiority”, “pick up the gun” and “fight to the end”, reflected a “medieval mindset and not a 21st Century vision”.
She said Pakistan’s “virulent reaction to the removal of an outdated and temporary provision (Article 370) that was hindering development and integration of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir stems from the fact that those who thrive on conflict never welcome the ray of peace”.
‘Bordering on crudeness’
“Citizens of India do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf, least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate,” she added.
“For someone who was once a cricketer and believed in the gentleman’s game, today’s speech bordered on crudeness of the variety that is reminiscent of the guns of Darra Adam Khel.”
Maitra also posed a few questions that Pakistan can respond to in respect to the proposed verification by the UN. “Can Pakistan confirm the fact that it is home to 130 UN-designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed by the UN, as of today?
“Will Pakistan acknowledge that it is the only government in the world that provides pension to an individual listed by the UN in the Al Qaeda and Daesh Sanctions list?
“Can Pakistan explain why here in New York, its premier bank, the Habib Bank, had to shut shop after it was fined millions of dollars over terror financing?”