Pakistan facing cross-border terrorism, says Maleeha Lodhi

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi has said Pakistan is facing cross-border terrorism.

Addressing an event here, she said the country would trounce elements carrying out acts of terrorism and subversive activities from across the border.

She urged the United Nations to focus its attention on issues arising out of denying people the right to self determination. The movements for right to self-determination should not be allowed to be trampled, she urged.

Ms Lodhi said the world body needed to draw a distinction between terrorism and such movements.

She reiterated that Pakistan carried out major counter-terrorism operations in northern and border regions, which resulted in significant reduction in terrorist activities in the country. All stakeholders were in agreement to eliminate terrorism from the Pakistani soil, she added.

Ms Lodhi said the militant Islamic State (Daesh) was a global phenomenon, thus warranted global and coordinated efforts to defeat it.

Earlier, responding to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s assertion accusing Pakistan of exporting terrorism, Ms Lodhi had said India was using terrorism as a state policy.

Addressing the annual United Nations General Assembly session, Swaraj had severely criticized Pakistan saying, “Why is that India is a recognized IT superpower in the world, and Pakistan is recognized only as the export factory for terror.”

Maleeha Lodhi said Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav, condemned to death for spying, has confessed to committing terrorism in Pakistan.

She said Kashmir was not the part of India, but the state has illegally been occupied by the country. She said India’s refusal to implement the UN resolutions on Kashmir dispute is a deception and aggression.

She said India is leveling allegations against Pakistan to divert world attention from the brutalities its forces are committing against Kashmiris in the occupied Kashmir.

Lodhi urged the international community to stop India from violating ceasefire agreement by resorting to firing along the Line of Control.

She said Pakistan wants resolution of all outstanding issues through talks, and added India will have to give up the policy of terrorism for talks.

She said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself was involved in killing of Muslims in Gujrat, and hands of several leaders of the ruling party in India are stained with blood of innocent people. Even minorities in that country are not safe, she added.