External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday countered Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s claim that “people of Jammu and Kashmir are facing the same situation as the people of Palestine” in strong words, stating that the neighboring country’s polity “instills such fanaticism among its people that its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalization, and its exports in the form of terrorism.”
At the 79th UN General Assembly, Jaishankar said, “We see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can’t blame the world; this is only karma.”
Hitting out at Pakistan, 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 neighbor, Pakistan. Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighborhood.”
Our Statement at the General Debate of the 79th session of #UNGA.#UNGA79 https://t.co/wBoRKOClS4
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 28, 2024
Responding to Pakistan’s PM’s speech at the UNGA on Friday, EAM Jaishankar said, “A dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others must be exposed and countered. We heard some bizarre assertions from it at this forum yesterday.”
“Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism policy 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 now only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan, and, of course, the abandonment of Pakistan’s longstanding attachment to terrorism,” he added.
In his Friday speech, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif compared the struggles of Kashmiris to Palestinians, stating that they have fought for freedom and self-determination for a century. Sharif said that India must reverse the “unilateral and illegal measures” of August 2019, abrogating Article 370, and engage in dialogue for a peaceful resolution based on UN resolutions and Kashmiri aspirations.
