False And Malicious Propaganda: India's Retorts To Pak PM's Address At UNGA For Raking Kashmir Issue

"Regrettably, this isn't the first time leader of Pakistan has misused platforms provided by the UN to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country", First Secretary in the UNGA.

First Secretary Sneha Dubey at UN General Assembly on Friday (Image Source: ANI)

New Delhi: In a strongly worded response, India in its Right to Reply called Pakistan PM Imran Khan's virtual address 'false & malicious' after he brought up the Kashmir issue in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

Khan in his address had spoken about the August 5, 2019 decision of the Indian government on the abrogation of Article 370 as well as the death of pro-Pakistan separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

"We exercise our Right of Reply to one more attempt by the leader of Pakistan to tarnish the image of this August forum by bringing in matters internal to my country, and going so far as to spew falsehoods on the world stage, First Secretary Sneha Dubey said in the UN General Assembly on Friday.

"Regrettably, this isn't the first time leader of Pakistan has misused platforms provided by the UN to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country, and seeking in vain to divert the world's attention from the sad state of his country where terrorists enjoy free pass while the lives of ordinary people, especially those belonging to the minority communities, are turned upside down", she said in her retort. 

'While such statements deserve our collective contempt and sympathy for the mindset of the person who utters falsehood repeatedly, I am taking the floor to set the record straight', the young Indian diplomat said, slamming the Pakistani leader for raking up the Kashmir issue in his address to the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.

In the Right of Reply, Dubey strongly reiterated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh "were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.

Khan, while asserting that Pakistan desires peace with India, said sustainable peace in South Asia is contingent upon the resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

"The onus remains on India to create a conducive environment for meaningful and result-oriented engagement with Pakistan", Khan's statement read.

Dubey strongly reiterated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh "were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation.

Pakistan's attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue have gained no traction from the international community and the Member States, who maintain that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between the two countries.

Sneha Dubey, in the Right of Reply, responded, "We keep hearing that Pakistan is a 'victim of terrorism'. This is the country that is an arsonist disguising itself as a fire-fighter. Pakistan nurtures terrorists in their backyard in the hope that they will only harm their neighbours. Our region, and in fact the entire world, has suffered because of their policies. On the other hand, they are trying to cover up sectarian violence in their country as acts of terror".

"This is a country that has been globally recognised as openly supporting, training, financing and arming terrorists as a matter of state policy," Dubey said.

She also said that India desires normal relations with all our neighbours, including Pakistan.

"However, it is for Pakistan to work sincerely towards creating a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible actions to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross border terrorism against India in any manner," added Dubey.