'Only Issue Left Is Restoring PoK': Jaishankar Blasts Pakistan In UN Speech, Warns Actions Wil Have Consequences

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday hit out at Pakistan over the Kashmir issue and said that the issue to be resolved between both the countries now is only the restoration of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) to India.

While addressing the 79th United Nations General Assembly Session (UNGA) in New York, he said, “We heard some bizarre assertions from this very forum yesterday. Let me make India’s position very clear – Pakistan’s policy of cross-border terrorism will never succeed. And it can have no expectation of impunity. On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences. The issue to be resolved between us is only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan and of course, abandonment of Pakistan long long-standing attachment to terrorism.”

Speaking further about Pakistan’s policy of “harbouring terrorists” on its soil, Jaishankar said, “Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood.”

“When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism. Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can’t blame the world; this is only karma,” he added.

Jaishankar On Israel-Hamas, Russia-Ukraine War

The minister further extended India’s support to the UNGA and highlighted the ongoing crisis at the global stage, stating that ‘the assembly has gathered at a difficult time’.

“…We strongly support the 79th UNGA theme – ‘Leaving No-one Behind’. We are gathered here at a difficult time. The world has yet to recover from the ravages of the Covid pandemic. A war in Ukraine is well into its third year and the conflict in Gaza is acquiring wider ramifications,” Jaishankar said while addressing the UNGA.

Urging the global community to respect international law, Jaishankar said, “The UN is a testimony to the agreed principles and shared objectives of the world order. Respect for international law and commitments are among the foremost in that regard.”

Jaishankar further stressed that the UN must step up to make the world a better place, saying it should be done “Not because it is a competition of foreign influences, but because if we carry on like this, the state of the world will only get worse”.

Sharif Draws Parallels Between Gaza And Kashmir

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday accused India of “massive expansion of its military capabilities” and issuing threats to cross the LoC for taking over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, as he raised the Kashmir issue again in his address at the UNGA.

He demanded that New Delhi reverse the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status, and also charged India with attempting to subjugate its Muslim population.

Sharif said “like the people of Palestine”, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have “struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self-determination”.

Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, Sharif said India must reverse the “unilateral and illegal measures” to secure durable peace, and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and “wishes of the Kashmiri people”.

India’s Riposte To Pakistan PM’s Kashmir Remarks

India on Saturday gave a befitting response to Sharif after he raked up the issue of Kashmir on the UN stage in New York. First Secretary of India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, earlier today said that a country run by the military, known for its notoriety in spreading terrorism, has had the “audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy.”

“This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours,” Mangalanandan said.

The Indian diplomat reminded the UN members that Pakistan has attacked the Indian Parliament, as well as the country’s financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes.