New Delhi’s 'terror franchise' has gone global, Pakistan calls out India at UN

Pakistani diplomat Saima Saleem has called out India for its being a state sponsor of terrorism whose terror franchise has gone global.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said this in his remarks on Counsellor Saima’s response to remarks of the Indian representative during the UN Security Council Annual Debate on the Protection of Civilians.

“India’s sponsorship of terrorism against Pakistan is not an abstract notion; rather, it has exacted a massive human cost. The TTP, BLA, and Majeed Brigade — terrorist proxies supported by India — have been involved in the killing of thousands of innocent civilians, including women and children, in our mosques, markets, schools, and streets through networks financed, facilitated, and operated from Afghan soil, something that the reports of the UNSC Monitoring Team have laid bare,” Asim added.

In her address, Saima said India is a country that exports terrorism abroad, occupies people by force, persecutes minorities at home, weaponises water, commits aggression in the region, and then tries to lecture others on the protection of civilians.

“While Pakistan stands for peace, dialogue, peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to international law, India stands exposed by terrorism, occupation, aggression, repression and disregard for international law,” she maintained.

With regard to Afghanistan, she said Pakistan carried out precise, deliberate and professional counter-terrorism operations based on credible intelligence against terrorist hideouts, training camps, ammunition storage sites, and support networks used to plan and launch attacks against Pakistani civilians, security forces and infrastructure.

“These operations were directed solely against terrorist and their infrastructure, not against the brotherly people of Afghanistan or civilian facilities. Allegations advanced by the Taliban regime and echoed by their Indian patrons are part of a familiar disinformation campaign to hide their crimes against innocent civilians in Pakistan. We can sense India’s disappointment, as its investments in the use of Afghan terrorist franchise against Pakistan are going to waste due to our effective counter-terrorism operations,” she added.

The counsellor said India can neither conceal nor deny its occupation of Jammu and Kashmir — an internationally recognised dispute that remains on the agenda of this Council. In the occupied territory, civilians are killed, detained, dispossessed and silenced; homes are demolished, freedoms are crushed, and an entire people are denied their right to self-determination, as corroborated by facts presented by international community, including the Special Procedures and highlighted in our statement today, she said pointing towards the horrific persecution of local Kashmiris by the occupied forces.

Saima said India’s treatment of its minorities should alarm the conscience of the world specially genocide of Muslims. Under state-sponsored Hindutva extremism, Islamophobia has been normalised as policy, hate speech rewarded in politics, mob violence met with impunity, and discrimination turned into a daily reality for Muslims and other minorities, including Sikhs, Dalits and Christians, she added.

The diplomat stated that India’s disregard for international law is also evident in holding of the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. A state that threatens the water, food security and livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis cannot certainly speak of civilian protection, she highlighted.

She emphasised that Pakistan stands for peace, dialogue, peaceful settlement of disputes and adherence to international law. India stands exposed by terrorism, occupation, aggression, repression and disregard for international law.