'Hosting Osama Bin Laden…': India's Sharp Response To Pakistan After Kashmir Remark At UN — WATCH

India delivered a sharp response to Pakistan at the UN Security Council after Pak Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari raised the Kashmir issue at the powerful UN body.

New Delhi: India strongly criticised Pakistan on Wednesday after its Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari raised the Kashmir issue in the UN Security Council. Addressing the gathering, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted that a country that hosted slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and attacked a neighbouring Parliament does not have the credentials to “sermonize" in the powerful UN body.

“We are obviously focused today on the urgency of reforming multilateralism. We will naturally have our particular views, but there is a growing convergence at least that this cannot be delayed any further,” said Jaishankar, who is chairing India’s signature event on reformed multilateralism.

The Minister added that the credibility of the UN depends on its effective response to the key challenges of our times, be it pandemics, climate change, conflicts, or terrorism.

“While we search for the best solutions, what our discourse must never accept is the normalisation of such threats. The question of justifying what the world regards as unacceptable should not even arise. That certainly applies to state sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Nor can hosting Osama bin Laden and attacking a neighbouring Parliament serve as credentials to sermonize before this Council,” he emphasised, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Allow Implementation Of UNSC Resolution When It Comes To Kashmir: Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto

The strong remarks came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari raised the Kashmir issue while speaking in the Council debate on reformed multilateralism.

"If you want to see the success of multilateralism then you can allow implementation of UNSC resolution when it comes to Kashmir, prove multilateralism succeeds, prove UNSC under your (India) presidency can succeed and deliver peace in our region," Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said at the UNSC, as quoted by news agency ANI.

The Pakistan Foreign Minister remarked, "Parties to dispute can't advocate multilateral processes and reforms one day and insist on bilateral avenues next or ultimately impose a unilateral solution. Pakistan firmly believes that major security problems in our region can be peacefully resolved."

"Multilateralism be based on universal and consistent adherence to UN charter, self-determination of people, non-use of threat/force, non-acquisition of territory by use of force, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of state and non-interference in internal affairs," he added, as per ANI.

Zardari further stressed, "The council must seek to resolve conflicts and dispute. It should address underlying causes of conflicts such as foreign occupation and suppression of recognition of rights of people to self-determination."

India’s Current Presidency Of UN Security Council

Jaishankar arrived at the UN on Tuesday to preside over two signature events on counter-terrorism and reformed multilateralism being held under India’s current Presidency of the UN Security Council before the curtains come down this month on the India's two-year tenure as an elected member of the powerful 15-nation.

The External Affairs Minister presided on Wednesday over the UN Security Council Open Debate on ‘Maintenance of International Peace and Security: New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism’, a signature event held under India’s Presidency of the 15-nation Council.

Among the over 60 speakers listed for the debate was Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who in his remarks to the Council, raised the Kashmir issue.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, was chairing the debate when Bhutto spoke in the Council.

Later, presiding over the debate, Jaishankar gave a strong response to Bhutto’s comments.

The references include the mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks in the US, Osama bin Laden, who was living in Pakistan’s Abbottabad city and was killed in a raid at his hideout in May 2011 by US Navy seals.

Terrorists of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) had attacked the Indian Parliament complex in New Delhi eighteen years ago on December 13, killing nine people.

Tensions between India and Pakistan intensified further after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. India’s decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.