India slams Wani's reference in Nawaz Sharif's UN speech

Slamming Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for glorifying slain Hizbul commander Burhan Wani at the UN, India today said his remarks show Pakistan's continued attachment to terrorism.
"Pak PM Sharif at #UNGA glorifies Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani in UN's highest forum. Shows continued Pak attachment to terrorism," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.
During his address to the UN General Assembly session today, Sharif raked up Kashmir issue and described Wani as a "young leader".
Pakistan Prime Minister said Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8, has "emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement".

Sharif also claimed that he had gone the extra mile to offer "a dialogue to address all outstanding issues but India has posed unacceptable preconditions to engage in a dialogue."
Responding to Sharif's allegations, Swarup said India's only condition for talks is an end to terrorism.

He added the world also knows that Pakistan has indulged
in ethnic cleansing of its own people.
"Pakistan's consistent use of war and terrorism has been at the cost of development of the people of Pakistan. The people of Pakistan are paying the price of a malevolent policy," he said.
On Sharif's remark that he has gone the 'extra mile' for peace with India, Akbar said "we have not seen the first mile. Where is the question of the extra mile?"

Akbar said none of the world leaders speaking at the UN General Assembly has "referred" to Kashmir despite massive efforts by Sharif to raise the bilateral dispute with India in all his meetings with global leaders on the margins of the General Assembly.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attitude and policy towards Pakistan has been "consistent" from day one.
"In the very first invitation that was extended to the SAARC leaders, it was made clear that India was always ready for a dialogue with anyone but not if there was any use of terrorism.
"Even in the first weeks, the dialogue process was disrupted. You can see in our relationship with other countries the dialogue process has taken amity and friendship far," he said.

On protests by Baloch activists outside the UN, Akbar said Balochistan people have reasons for protests against the policy and a "very long history" of serious violence against its people.
"It's a violence that has included a use of air force, massive armed forces against them," he said.
Sharif spent the majority of his speech on Kashmir, saying peace and normalisation between Pakistan and India cannot be achieved without a resolution of the Kashmir issue.
"This is an objective evaluation, not a partisan position," he said.
Sharif also demanded an independent inquiry into the "extra-judicial killings" and a UN fact finding mission to investigate alleged brutalities perpetrated by the Indian forces, "so that those guilty of these atrocities are punished".

He said the Security Council has called for the exercise of the right to self-determination by the people of Kashmir through a free and fair plebiscite held under UN auspices.
The Pakistani leader sought steps to be taken by the United Nations to "de-militarise" Jammu and Kashmir and undertake consultations with India, Pakistan and the "true representatives" of the Kashmiri people to implement the resolutions of the Security Council.
Welcoming the offer of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's good offices on the resolution of the dispute, Sharif said Islamabad will also open consultations with members of the Security Council to explore the modalities for implementation of the Council's resolutions on Kashmir.