New York: Indian and Pakistani delegates engaged in a sharp verbal duel at the United Nations on Friday night following Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif drew the international community’s attention to New Delhi’s policy of “brutal coercion and oppression” in occupied Kashmir and the “externally financed” terrorism against Pakistan, specially by banned TTP and its associates.
The Indian delegate, Bhavika Mangalanandan, reacted to the Pakistani prime minister’s strong speech in the 79th session of the UNGA earlier in the day in which he referred to India’s threats and arms build-up, warning that Islamabad will respond “most decisively” to any Indian aggression.
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Exercising his right of response, Pakistani delegate Muhammad Faheem has dismissed his Indian counterpart’s “false narrative”, asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized disputed region. The delegate added that it has never been, nor will ever be, a part of India, nor is it an internal matter.”
The UNSC has unequivocally called for a free and impartial plebiscite in order to enable the Kashmiri people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination, he maintained, saying that New Delhi was obligated to honour that decision.
“Yet, instead of honouring its obligations, New Delhi has chosen the path of repression, subjecting the legitimate aspirations of the people of Kashmir for self-determination via a brutal and oppressive occupation,” he said.
