 "Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj speaks during the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN Headquarters.")
India's Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj's advice to Pakistan to abandon its dream of separating Kashmir from India during her address at the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday has prompted the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Mohammed Nafees Zakaria to ask "if Kashmir is an integral part of India, why is it on the agenda of the (UN) Security Council"?
"Strange that Indian EAM is disowning the UNSC resolutions and that too at the UN. Can the Indian EAM explain that if Kashmir is an integral part of India, why is it on the agenda of the Security Council," tweeted Zakaria a few hours after Swaraj concluded her speech.
After Swaraj showed Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif a mirror, saying that those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan, Zakaria tweeted, "Indian EAMs reference to Pakistan's province of Balochistan is a violation of UN principles and international law."
The Pakistan MoFA spokesperson further tweeted, "Reference to Balochistan is a continuous admission by India of its involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan."
Further, India raising Pakistan's "internal matter" Balochistan in the UN General Assembly was a "blatant violation" of international norms, Pakistani envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi said as she described Kashmir not as India's integral part but an "internationally recognised dispute".
Accusing India of diverting the world's attention from "atrocities on defenceless Kashmiris", Zakaria said, "India trying to divert world attention from its atrocities on defenceless Kashmiris, but her efforts will not succeed."
"The Indian FM' speech is a litany of falsehoods and baseless allegations. The biggest falsehood is that Kashmir is an integral part of India. Kashmir is an internationally recognised dispute. It is the oldest item on the UN agenda. The whole world acknowledges this," Lodhi said in a series of tweets after Swaraj's address.
Lodhi also said it is "untrue" that India imposed no preconditions for talks with Pakistan.
"India suspended talks more than a year ago, and has refused to resume these despite repeated offers from Pakistan. The latest offer of talks with India was made by Pakistan's Prime Minister himself from the rostrum of the General Assembly on 21 September," Lodhi said in the tweets.
Lodhi claimed India is in "denial" about the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.
However, defending Swaraj's speech at the UNGA as well-measured and fitting, India Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that she has expressed New Delhi's vision on all those issues which are crucial to the international community.
"As you know our foreign minister gives to the point answers and her statement today (Monday) was well-measured and fitting, and she expressed India's vision on all those issues which are crucial to the international community," Swarup told ANI here.
With Swaraj saying "jinke apne ghar shishe ke ho, unhe dusro par patthar nahi fekne chahiye (those whose houses are made of glass should not throw stones at others)", while responding to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statements at the UNGA on September 21, the MEA spokesperson said, "A few days back, the Pakistan prime minister on this very platform had given baseless statements against India; and today, the foreign minister has given a befitting reply to all those things."
"Moreover, she has said the countries sheltering terrorism, financing them and providing them with weapons, such countries do not have any place in the international community which, in my opinion, was a very important and powerful message that she delivered today," he added.
When asked whether he thought that Pakistan was isolated on the international platform, Swarup said, "That is evident. As you have seen when the Pakistan prime minister delivered his speech, his speech got no comments in their support; whereas there is a consensus in the world on India's statement on terrorism and there is a common consensus that fighting terrorism is, at present, utmost necessary."
On Balochistan also, the foreign minister commented on the atrocities committed there, he said.
