6 key things in India's reply to Pakistan at UN on Kashmir issue

India late on Wednesday reacted strongly to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s four-point advice on the Kashmir issue at the United Nations. Sharif had proposed for India a peace initiative entailing renouncing the use or threat of use of force, de-militarisation of Kashmir, withdrawal from Siachen Glacier and formalising ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC).

In its response, India referred to Pakistan as a “prime sponsor of terrorism”, and asserted de-militarising Kashmir was not the answer for achieving peace; “de-terrorising” Pakistan was, as that country used terror as a “legitimate instrument” of its statecraft.

In a series of swift tweets, Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of India’s external affairs ministry, hit back by saying: “Pak PM gets foreign occupation right, occupier wrong. We urge early vacation of Pak-occupied Kashmir.”

 

Sharif UNGA speech: Pak PM gets foreign occupation right, occupier wrong. We urge early vacation of Pak occupied Kashmir

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 30, 2015

Here are six important things to know about India’s reply to Pakistan:

1. Misuse of high-level forums

Exercising the Right of Reply during the General Debate of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly late on Wednesday, India’s first secretary in the Permanent Mission to the UN Abhishek Singh termed as “regrettable” that Pakistan was again choosing to “misuse” the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly session to “distort reality and portray a false picture of the challenges in our region”.

India exercises its Right of Reply during General Debate of 70th session of #UNGA http://t.co/80XoO29vl5

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) October 1, 2015

During his address to the General Assembly earlier in the day, Sharif had said his country was the “primary victim” of terrorism.

2. A victim of own policies

Abhishek Singh retorted sharply to Sharif’s comments, saying: “In truth, it is actually a victim of its own policies of breeding and sponsoring terrorists. The heart of the matter is a state that regards the use of terrorism as a legitimate instrument of statecraft. The world watches with concern as its consequences have spread beyond its immediate neighbourhood.”

Adding that Pakistan was seeking to mask its activities, as though an outcome of domestic discontent in Jammu & Kashmir carried no credibility with the world, Singh said: “All of us stand prepared to help, if only the creators of this monster wake up to the dangers of what they have done to themselves.”

Pakistan is not primary victim of terrorism but of its own policies. It is in fact the prime sponsor of terrorism.

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 30, 2015

3. Ceasefire violation at LoC

On Sharif’s reference to ceasefire violations and exchange of fire along the LoC and the international boundary, Singh said the world knew that the “primary reason for firing is to provide cover to terrorists crossing the border. It needs no imagination to figure out which side initiates this exchange”, he said.

Singh added it was not uncommon for states when confronted with serious challenges to shift responsibility on others. “That is the case with Pakistan and terrorism, reflecting the inability to recognise that this is a home-grown problem that has begun to bite the hand that fed it. We agree that terrorism has underlying causes — in this case, poverty of wisdom and ignorance of consequences,” he said.

Pakistan's instability arises from its breeding of terrorists. Blaming neighbors is not a solution.

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 30, 2015

4. China-Pakistan economic corridor

Singh also pointed out that India’s strong reservations about the proposed China-Pakistan economic corridor stemmed from the fact that it passed through Indian territory, “illegally occupied” by Pakistan for many years.

5. Disregard of agreements

On Sharif’s remarks that the dispute over Jammu & Kashmir remained unresolved and the dialogue had not progressed, Singh said: “This is because Pakistan has chosen to disregard its commitments, whether under the 1972 Shimla Agreement, or the 2004 Joint Declaration, or more recently the understanding between our two prime ministers at Ufa”.

Singh asserted it was India on each occasion that extended the hand of friendship. “India remains open even today to engage with Pakistan on outstanding issues in an atmosphere free of terrorism and violence.”

6. Demilitarisation of Himalayan region

Sharif said Muslims were suffering across the world and both Palestine and Kashmir were oppressed by foreign occupation. He called for demilitarisation of the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, and for both countries to respect a 2003 ceasefire on the de-facto frontier, where there had been an increase in cross-border firing lately.

“To demilitarise Kashmir is not the answer, to deterrorise Pakistan is,” India said on its external affairs ministry website. Referring to Sharif as saying his country was a major victim of terrorism, Swarup said Pakistan was the prime sponsor of terrorism.

To de-militarize Kashmir is not the answer, to de-terrorize Pakistan is.

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) September 30, 2015