India Hits Back at Pakistan at UN, Warns Cross-Border Terrorism Will Have Consequences

First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Petal Gahlot delivers India’s Right of Reply at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, responding to remarks made by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

New Delhi rejects Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks on Kashmir, terrorism and the Indus Waters Treaty at UN General Assembly

Key Highlights

• India exercises Right of Reply after Pakistan PM’s UNGA address
• First Secretary Petal Gahlot accuses Pakistan of presenting “falsehoods” and “deceit”
• India rejects Pakistan’s claims relating to Jammu and Kashmir
• New Delhi warns that continued cross-border terrorism will have consequences
• India invokes Osama bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan while responding to Islamabad’s claims

United Nations: India delivered a sharp response to Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised Kashmir, the Indus Waters Treaty and last year’s India-Pakistan military confrontation in his address, with New Delhi accusing Islamabad of spreading “falsehoods” and warning against continued cross-border terrorism.

Exercising India’s Right of Reply at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot rejected Sharif’s assertions and challenged Pakistan’s record on terrorism.

Gahlot reminded the General Assembly that the exchange was taking place shortly after the world marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. Referring to Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, she pointed to the fact that he had been living in Pakistan near the country’s premier military academy before being killed by US forces in 2011.

India Rejects Pakistan’s Claims

Sharif, in his UNGA address, had raised Jammu and Kashmir and criticised India’s decision to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. He warned that any attempt to stop, impede or divert Pakistan’s share of Indus waters would be treated by Islamabad as an “act of war”.

India rejected Pakistan’s assertions and reiterated its position on Jammu and Kashmir while accusing Islamabad of using terrorism as an instrument against India. New Delhi also warned that continued cross-border terrorism would carry consequences.

The latest exchange comes amid continuing differences between the two countries over terrorism and the Indus Waters Treaty. Earlier this week, India’s Ministry of External Affairs also accused Pakistan of misrepresenting facts concerning a Court of Arbitration pronouncement related to the treaty.