India won't forget or forgive Hafiz Saeed, justice will be done: Akbaruddin

Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin also said India's major needs as a developing country will always be internal

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, said justice will be done in the case of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and the country will not forget or forgive what he did. 

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on soft power, he said, "Justice will be done in the case of Hafiz Saaed and the country will not forget or forgive what he did." 

Addressing the conference, he said India's major needs as a developing country will always be internal. 
 

"India's major needs as a developing country will always be internal. Given that we are a country of a billion plus, every aspect of our public diplomacy would be towards improving our internal conditions," he said.

 

He also listed some of the biggest challenges facing the country.

"The big challenges facing India are climate (change) and sanitation and there is no shame in acknowledging that we need to improve. I have not seen any diplomat before 2014 stood up to acknowledge our shortcomings," he said.
 

He said but today efforts are being put in to "improve ourselves that is the face of changing Indian diplomacy".

Noting that everyone uses soft power, Akbaruddin listed out India's efforts in using soft diplomacy as a tool.