The 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) saw a heated exchange of words between neighboring countries, India and Pakistan.

Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, accused India of severe human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019 (abrogation of Article 370). Bhavika Mangalanandan, First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, delivered a forceful rebuttal to Pakistan’s accusations. She began by criticizing Pakistan’s historical and ongoing actions.

“It is ridiculous that a nation that committed genocide in 1971, and which persecutes its minorities relentlessly even now, dare speak about intolerances and phobias.”

Bhavika Manglanandan

Mangalanandan did not hold back in her condemnation of Pakistan, describing the morning’s events as a “travesty”. “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. I speak about the reference to India in the speech of the Pakistani PM. As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbors. It has attacked our parliament, our financial capital, Mumbai, marketplaces, and pilgrimage routes. The list is long…”

She further criticized Pakistan’s stance on violence and democracy, calling it hypocritical. “For such a country to speak about violence anywhere is hypocrisy at its worst. It is even more extraordinary for a country with a history of rigged elections to talk about political choices, that too, in a democracy”, she said.

Mangalanandan emphasized Pakistan’s association with terrorism and its global impact, saying that the “world can see for itself for what Pakistan really is”. She was also critical of Pakistan harboring extremist group Al-Qaeda’s founder, Osama Bin Laden.

“We are talking about a nation that, for so long, hosted Osama bin Laden. A country whose fingerprints are on numerous terrorist incidents across the world, and whose policies attract the dregs of many societies to make it their home. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that its Prime Minister would, so to speak, in this hallowed hall. Yet, we must make it clear how unacceptable his words are to all of us.”

-Bhavika Manglanandan

Pakistan accuses India of “Human Rights Violations”

Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, accused India of severe human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019. On that day, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government revoked the state’s special status and labelled them Union Territories under the Indian constitution. He painted a grim picture of the situation saying:

“Since 5th August, 2019, India has initiated unilateral illegal measures to impose what its leaders call a final solution to Jammu and Kashmir. Day in and day out, 900,000 Indian troops terrorize the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir with draconian measures including long curfews, extrajudicial killings, and the abduction of thousands of young Kashmiris.”

He also accused, “At the same time, in a classic settler colonial project, India is seizing Kashmiri lands and properties, and settling outsiders into occupied Jammu and Kashmir in their nefarious design to transform the Muslim-majority into a minority…”

“It shall fail by the grace of God.”

-Shehbaz Sharif

Sharif highlighted the resilience and determination of the Kashmiri people in the face of these alleged atrocities, “The Kashmiri people are resolute in rejection of the false Indian identity. New Delhi seeks to impose upon them very severe conditions and atrocities committed every hour. India’s policy of brutal occupation and coercion has ensured that Burhan Wani’s legacy continues to inspire the struggle and sacrifices of millions of Kashmiris…” he said.

He further issued a stern warning regarding Pakistan’s response to any Indian incursion.

“Pakistan will respond most decisively to any Indian incursion. Therefore, to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures it has taken since 5th of August, 2019, and enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UNSC regulations and wishes of the Kashmiri people.”

PM Shehbaz Sharif

Sharif also accused India of rejecting Pakistan’s proposals for strategic restraint and escalating tensions saying that “India has thoughtlessly spurned Pakistan’s proposals for a mutual ‘strategic restraint regime” and that the BJP leadership has often threatened to “cross the Line of Control (LoC) and take over Azad Kashmir.”

In response, India asserted its firm stance against terrorism, “There can be no compact with terrorism. In fact, Pakistan should realize that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.”

The exchange at the UNGA underscores the deep-seated animosity and unresolved issues between India and Pakistan, particularly concerning Jammu and Kashmir. The international community continues to watch closely as both nations navigate these complex and contentious issues.

Pakistan’s views on Palestine conflic

The Pakistan President expressed “searing pain and anguish” over the plight of the people in Gaza, stating, “our hearts bleed as we witness the tragedy unfolding in the Holy Land, a tragedy that shakes the very conscience of humanity.”

“Can we, as human beings, remain silent while children lie buried, under the rubble of their shattered homes?ِ Can we turn a blind eye to the mothers, cradling the lifeless bodies of their children? This is not just a conflict; this is systematic slaughter of innocent people; an assault on the very essence of human life and dignity The blood of Gaza’s children stains the hands of not just the oppressors, But Also of those who are complicit in prolonging this cruel conflict. We feel the chill of a new Cold War!”

PM Shehbaz Sharif

He stressed that merely condemning the conflict is insufficient; immediate steps must be taken to establish a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders and grant Palestine full UN membership. Without such a solution, “[the current conflict] threatens to drag the entire Middle East into a war, whose consequences could be grave and beyond imagination”, he said.