NEW DELHI: India on Friday hit back at accusations made by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying he made false accusations against India during his United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) address on September 23.
India exercised its 'Right of Reply' during the session following the conclusion of Friday's UNGA addresses and Indian diplomat , First Secretary Mijito Vinito, hit back at Sharif, saying, "He has done so to obfuscate misdeeds in his own country and to justify actions against India that the world considers unacceptable."
Sharif had remarked that while Pakistan looks for peace with India, "sustainable peace and stability" in the region was contingent upon the resolution of the Kashmir issue. The Pak PM brought up August 5, 2019, when India abrogated Article 370 (special status for Jammu and Kashmir).
Earlier, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif spoke about the Kashmir issue in the UNGA. He made false allegations against India accusing it of turning Kashmir into a Hindu-majority territory, through illegal demographic changes.
"A polity that claims it seeks peace with its neighbours would never sponsor cross border terrorism, nor would it shelter planners of the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, disclosing the existence only under pressure from the international community," Vinito said in his reply, adding, "Such a country would not make unjustified and untenable territorial claims against neighbours."
While quoting a segment on growing Islamophobia around the world, Sharif pointed to India.
"The officially sponsored campaign of oppression against India's over 200 million Muslims is the worst manifestation of Islamophobia," he said.
In his response, Vinito said, "But it is not just about the neighbourhood that we have heard false claims today. It is about human rights, about minority rights and about basic decencies."
Vinito reminded Pakistan to introspect before levelling false allegations against India. Vinto emphasised that instead of making claims over Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad should stop "cross-border terrorism."
"When young women in the thousands from the minority community are abducted as an SOP (standard operating procedure), what can we conclude about the underlying mindset?" Vinito pointed out.
In previous years, Pakistan has made similar accusations against India at UNGA and India has exercised its right of reply.
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