India is mother of terrorism in South Asia, Lodhi hits back at Sushma Swaraj

NEW YORK: India is the mother of terrorism in South Asia, said Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dr Maleeha Lodhi while responding to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s assertion accusing Pakistan of exporting terrorism.

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.”

Responding to her allegations, Lodhi said India was using terrorism as a state policy.

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

Maleeha Lodhi said Kashmir was not the part of India, but the state has illegally been occupied by it. 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.

India condemned for human rights violations

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who took office last month after his predecessor Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from office over corruption scandal, addressed the UNGA couple of days ago and condemnedf India’s rule in Kashmir, the Himalayan territory divided between the two nuclear powers.

Slamming India of “massive and indiscriminate force” in Kashmir, Abbasi urged an international investigation and warned of escalation on their military frontier, the Line of Control.

“Pakistan has acted with restraint. But if India does venture across the LoC, or acts upon its doctrine of limited war against Pakistan, it will evoke a strong and matching response,” he said.

He was referring to an Indian strategic doctrine, rarely discussed openly, of a limited military response on Pakistan that is intended to stop short of triggering a nuclear reprisal.

Abbasi said India is unwilling to resume the peace process with Pakistan and the UN Security Council should fulfill its obligation to secure the implementation of its own resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.