Indian diplomat walks out, then shreds Imran Khan's UNGA speech
Lodging a strong protest after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan brought up Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly, the Indian diplomat walked out of the hall in New York when his pre-recorded message was being played on a large screen. Later, the Indian representative gave a befitting reply to Khan, reminding that Pakistan has no glory, other than terrorism, to flaunt. Here's more.
To recall, last year, Khan had dedicated more than half of his 50-minute-long speech to Kashmir, mentioning about Article 370's revocation and "suggesting" India must "free" the Valley. He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies. This time, just as he began rambling, Mijito Vinito, a 2010-batch IFS officer who is serving as First Secretary of India Mission, picked up his papers and left.
Despite being snubbed multiple times by world leaders, Khan included Kashmir in his speech, which was played on Friday. Khan said, "Pakistan has always called for a peaceful solution. To this end, India must rescind the measures it has instituted since August 5 in 2019." To note, leaders are giving virtual speeches this time in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
After Khan's speech, TS Tirumurti, India's permanent representative to the UN, tweeted that India would be using "Right to Reply" to respond to the baseless allegations. Saying that Khan touched a new diplomatic low, Tirumurti tweeted, "Another litany of vicious falsehood, personal attacks, war-mongering and obfuscation of Pakistan's persecution of its own minorities & of its cross-border terrorism. Befitting Right of Reply awaits. (sic)"
As Tirumurti assured, India used the "Right to Reply" option and slammed Khan for his governance. In the scathing reply, India said in the last seven decades, Pakistan only indulged in "terrorism, ethnic cleansing, majoritarian fundamentalism, and clandestine nuclear trade." "The words used today at this great Assembly by the leader of Pakistan (Imran Khan) demean the very essence of UN," Vinito said.
"This hall heard the incessant rant of someone who had nothing to show for himself, who had no achievements to speak of and no reasonable suggestion to offer to the world. Instead, we saw lies, misinformation, war-mongering, and malice spread through this Assembly," he added.
He also shed light on Pakistan's "stellar record," pointing out that the country houses the most number of UN-designated terrorists. "This is the same country that provides pensions for dreaded and listed terrorists out of State funds. The leader whom we heard today is the same person who referred to terrorist Osama Bin Laden as a 'martyr' in the Pakistani Parliament in July," Vinito added.
#WATCH This is the same country that provides pensions for dreadedlisted terrorists out of State funds...We call upon Pak to vacate all those areas that it's in illegal occupation of: Mijito Vinito,First Secy,India Mission to UN exercises India's right of reply to Pak PM at UNGA pic.twitter.com/PiXDSZAYTJ
— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2020
India also brought attention to Khan's 2019 speech, where he admitted some 30,000-40,000 terrorists were staying in Pakistan. "This is the country that has systematically cleansed its minorities, including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and others, through the abuse of its blasphemy laws and through forced religious conversions," he added. He also underlined that Pakistan must vacate the occupied parts in Kashmir.
"The only way for Pakistan to become a normal country is to abjure its moral, financial and material support to terrorism, turn its attention to the problems faced by its own population, including its minorities, and stop misusing UN platforms to further its nefarious agenda," Vinito said.
