During her speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said that Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable part of India and Pakistan must stop dreaming about snatching it away.
Giving a strong reply to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Sushma Swaraj said that India has always tried to strengthen ties through dialogues but in return has only got Pathankot, Uri etc. Without mentioning Pakistan, she said that if some country is not willing to join forces to fight terrorism, then it must be isolated. ‘Those who live in glass house should not throw stones at others,’ Swaraj said in an indirect reference to Balochistan.
‘Amidst us, there are nations that still speak the language of terrorism, that nurture it, peddle it, and export it. We must identify these nations and hold them to account. These nations, in which UN declared terrorists roam freely, lead processions and deliver their poisonous sermons of hate with impunity, are as culpable as the very terrorists they harbor. Such countries should have no place in the comity of nations.
On 21st September, the Prime Minister of Pakistan used this podium to make baseless allegations about human rights violations in my country. I can only say 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. The brutality against the Baloch people represents the worst form of State oppression.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan also said that India has placed pre-conditions for talks which are not acceptable to him. What pre-conditions? Did we impose any pre-condition before extending an invitation for the oath-taking ceremony of our Government? Did we impose any pre-condition when I went to Islamabad for the Heart of Asia conference and agreed to begin the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue? Did we impose any pre-condition when Prime Minister Modi travelled from Kabul to Lahore? What pre-conditions? We took the initiative to resolve issues not on the basis of conditions, but on the basis of friendship! We have in fact attempted a paradigm of friendship in the last two years which is without precedent. We conveyed Eid greetings to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, wished success to his cricket team, extended good wishes for his health and well being. Did all this come with pre-conditions attached? And what did we get in return? Pathankot, Bahadur Ali, and Uri. Bahadur Ali is a terrorist in our custody, whose confession is a living proof of Pakistan’s complicity in cross-border terror. But when confronted with such evidence, Pakistan remains in denial. It persists in the belief that such attacks will enable it to obtain the territory it covets.
My firm advice to Pakistan is: abandon this dream. Let me state unequivocally that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always remain so,’ Sushma Swaraj said.
She also talked about poverty, climate change & global warming, Sanitation etc.
