Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday tacitly warned Pakistan that its policy of using terrorism against India could turn out to be damaging for it also.
“The nations, which are using terrorism as a political tool, must realise that the menace poses a grave threat to them as it does to others,” Modi said, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, which earlier saw a war of words between India and Pakistan.
Amid reports about Islamabad’s role in bringing the Taliban and its affiliate Haqqani Network back to power in Kabul, the Prime Minister said that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to spread terrorism or launch terrorist attacks against other countries. “We must be careful to ensure that the sensitive situation there should not be misused as a tool by any nation for its own interest,” Modi said in his 22-minute long speech at the UNGA.
New Delhi earlier on the day deployed one of the youngest diplomats to respond to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks against India.
“We have had a great tradition of democracy that goes back to thousands of years,” the Prime Minister said. “It is a country that has dozens of languages, hundreds of dialects, different lifestyles and cuisines. This is the best example of a vibrant democracy,” said Modi, adding that it would soon be 20 years of him serving the people of the country as head of government – first as the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat and then as the Prime Minister for the last seven years. “The strength of our democracy is demonstrated by the fact that a little boy who at one time used to help his father at his tea stall at a railway station is today addressing the United Nations General Assembly for the fourth time as Prime Minister of India”.
“Yes, democracy can deliver. Yes, democracy has delivered”, he said.
After Khan earlier accused the Modi government in New Delhi of Islamophobia as well as of committing atrocities and violating human rights in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India exercised its ‘Right to Reply’ to turn the table on Pakistan.
Sneha Dubey, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India at the UN in New York, slammed Pakistan Prime Minister for spreading “falsehood” on the world stage. This is the country which is an arsonist disguising itself as a fire-fighter, she said, tacitly referring to Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan and dismissing its claim to be a victim of terrorism. India alleged that Pakistan nurtured terrorists in its backyard in the hope that they would only harm its neighbours. She said that South Asia and, in fact, the entire world had suffered because of the policies of Pakistan, which, on the other hand, were trying to cover up sectarian violence in the country as acts of terror.
Check out the latest DH videos: