'Stop cross-border terrorism, vacate Indian territories': India slams Pak for raking up Kashmir at UNGA

Coming down heavily on Pakistan after the country’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar raised the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), India said that the cash-strapped nation should stop cross-border terrorism and vacate Indian territories under its illegal occupation.

The First Secretary at the United Nations for the Second Committee of UNGA, Petal Gahlot, said, “Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we call upon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks whose victims await justice even after 15 years. In order for there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pakistan needs to take are threefold.”

First Secretary at United Nations for 2nd Committee of UNGA, Petal Gahlot says “Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we call upon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks whose victims await justice even after 15… pic.twitter.com/3A3r6yBfZO

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“First, stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. And third, stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan,” she added.

During his speech at the 78th UNGA in New York on Friday, Kakar said, “Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbours including India,” and added that “Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India.”

Emphasising Pakistan’s own sorry state of affairs, Gahlot said, “As a country with one of the world’s worst human rights records, particularly when it comes to minority and women’s rights, Pakistan would do well to put its own house in order before venturing to point a finger at the world’s largest democracy.”

“The condition of women belonging to minority communities in Pakistan notably Hindu Sikhs and Christians remains deplorable. According to a recent report published by Pakistan’s own Human Rights Commission, an estimated 1,000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction, forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan every year,” she added.

India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pakistan’s support of cross-border terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together.

India has also provided evidence at various international forums of Pakistan’s support for Terrorist groups.

With inputs from ANI