Pakistan is ‘Terroristan,’ says India at the UN

- ADVERTISEMENT -

UNITED NATIONS – For the second year in a row, Pakistan foolishly, futilely tried to rake up the issue of Kashmir, self-determination for the people of Kashmir, lied about India being the troublemaker with cross-border incursions at the United Nations General Assembly. For their efforts, they got a cutting and stunning reply from India when it came to rebutting the hostile and vile allegations.

Pakistan’s standing in the world has seen a sharp dip since the onset of the Trump presidency. They are on a slippery slope in bilateral relations with the US, with the Trump administration seeing eye-to-eye with India on cross-border terrorism perpetrated by Pakistan and agreeing with its long, nefarious history of launching and funding disruptive organizations in India.

Funding for Pakistan has taken a hit. Trump’s new policy to ease Obama-era norms on surreptitious military attacks, including drone strikes, at terrorists holed up in safe havens, spells more trouble for beleaguered rogue nations like Pakistan who are wilting domestically because of their nexus with terrorist organizations.

On Thursday, after the new Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s Kashmir-laden speech at the United Nations General Assembly, India had her First Secretary Eenam Gambhir give a befitting reply, after exercising its right to rebuttal.

Gambhir described Pakistan as “Terroristan” with a penchant to export jihadis worldwide. That word ‘Terroristan’ is brilliant; sums up the country Pakistan.

Last year, at the Same venue, Gambhir had humiliated the former disgraced Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, by refuting all his ridiculous assertions of India as a hostile nation. It was the turn of Abbasi to feel the heat, and for the people of Pakistan to feel the shame of being a nation known more for killing innocent people than being the ‘land of the pure’, as the work “Pakistan’ means, in Urdu.

Here’s the full text of Eenam’s excellent speech:

“I take the floor to exercise the right of reply in response to Pakistan’s defense of terrorism. It is extraordinary that the state which protected Osama Bin Laden and sheltered Mullah Omar should have the gumption to play the victim.

By now, all Pakistan’s neighbors are painfully familiar with these tactics to create a narrative based on distortions, deception and deceit. This august Assembly and the world beyond know that efforts at creating alternative facts do not change reality.

Mr President,

In its short history, Pakistan has become a geography synonymous with terror. The quest for a land of pure has actually produced “the land of pure terror”. Pakistan is now ”Terroristan’, with a flourishing industry producing and exporting global terrorism.

Its current state can be gauged from the fact that Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, a leader of the UN designated terrorist organization Lashkar-i-Taiba, is now sought to be legitimized as a leader of a political party.

This is a country whose counter terrorism policy is to mainstream and upstream terrorists by either providing safe havens to global terror leaders in its military town, or protecting them with political careers.

None of this can justify Pakistan’s avaricious efforts to covet the territories of its neighbours. In so far as India is concerned, Pakistan must understand that the State of Jammu and Kashmir is and will always remain an integral part of India. However much its scales up cross-border terrorism, it will never succeed in undermining India’s territorial integrity.

Mr President,

We also heard Pakistan complain about the consequences of its supposed counter terrorism efforts. Having diverted billions of dollars in international military and development aid towards creating a dangerous infrastructure of terror on its own territory, Pakistan is now speaking of the high cost of its terror industry. The polluter, in this case, is paying the price.

Mr President,

Even as terrorists thrive in Pakistan and roam its streets with impunity, we have heard it lecture about the protection of human rights in India. The world does not need lessons on democracy and human rights from a country whose own situation is charitably described as a failed state.

Mr President,

Terroristan is in fact a territory whose contribution to the globalisation of terror is unparalleled.

Pakistan can only be counseled to abandon a destructive worldview that has caused grief to the entire world. If it could be persuaded to demonstrate any commitment to civilization, order, and to peace, it may still find some acceptance in the comity of nations.”

It’s not known if Eenam was set to work on her speech for one full year, with India knowing fully well that Pakistan will bring up the issue of Kashmir again at the UN, and lie to the world.

One thing’s for sure: the world has found a new word for Pakistan: Terroristan.

(Sujeet Rajan is Executive Editor, Parikh Worldwide Media. Email him: sujeet@newsindiatimes.com Follow him on Twitter @SujeetRajan1).