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At the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), India denounced Pakistan’s attempt to raise the Jammu and Kashmir issue, labelling it as “hypocrisy” from a nation with “a global reputation for terrorism.” On Friday, Bhavika Mangalanandan, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, delivered a pointed Right to Reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks, where he had urged India to reverse the abrogation of Article 370 and engage in dialogue.
Mangalanandan called out Pakistan for attempting to undermine India’s democracy while itself being run by the military and having a long history of terrorism. “The truth is that Pakistan covets our territory and has continuously used terrorism to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, an inalienable and integral part of India,” she stated, a quoted by news agency ANI.
#WATCH | At UNGA Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan replies to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, says, “This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade and transnational crime has… pic.twitter.com/ZpHxE6a5Py
— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2024
In a direct response to Sharif’s claims, the Indian diplomat remarked, “This assembly regrettably witnessed a travesty this morning. A country run by the military, with a global reputation for terrorism, narcotics, trade, and transnational crime, has had the audacity to attack the world’s largest democracy.” Mangalanandan also highlighted Pakistan’s use of terrorism to derail elections in Jammu and Kashmir, referring to the attacks on India’s parliament in 2001 and Mumbai in 2008.
She further added, “Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbours. For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst.” Mangalanandan also drew attention to Pakistan’s history of rigged elections, saying it was “extraordinary” for such a nation to criticise India’s political choices in a democracy.
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The Indian diplomat pointed to Pakistan’s past atrocities, mentioning the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh and the persecution of minorities. “It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971 and continues to persecute its minorities even now, dares to speak about intolerance and phobias,” she said, adding that Pakistan had hosted Osama bin Laden, a key figure behind global terrorism.
She emphasised that India’s stand on terrorism was clear: “There can be no compact with terrorism. Pakistan should realise that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.”
Earlier, during his address, Shehbaz Sharif had accused India of expanding its military capabilities against Pakistan and of initiating unilateral steps in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. He called for a reversal of these steps, claiming they were illegal under the UN Security Council resolutions.
However, India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and that Pakistan must cease its support for terrorism if bilateral ties are to normalise. After the Pulwama attack in 2019, India made it clear that terror and talks cannot coexist, and has since presented evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in supporting terrorist groups at various international forums.
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