India lambastes Pakistan for spreading terrorism, violence; hopes new govt will work constructively to make region terror-free

New York, August 30: India on Wednesday lambasted Pakistan in the United Nations for spreading terrorism and violence across the world and also hoped that the new government in Islamabad will work constructively to build South Asian region terror-free.

 

Addressing a debate on ‘Mediation and Settlement of Disputes’, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin said, “Regurgitating a failed approach, which has long been rejected, is neither reflective of pacific intent nor a display of pacific content.”

“We hope that the new government of Pakistan will, rather than indulge in polemics, work constructively to build a safe, stable, secure and developed the South Asian region, free of terror and violence,” he added.

Referring to Pakistan’s repeated references to the disputed territories along the border, Syed Akbaruddin said, “I take this opportunity to remind Pakistan, the one isolated delegation that made unwarranted references to an integral part of India, that pacific settlement requires pacific intent in thinking and Pacific content in action.”

Slamming the UN, Akbaruddin also added that the United Nations cannot be made the centre of mediation efforts. He said, “As the UN Charter itself recognizes, the pacific settlement of disputes can be through a variety of mechanisms. Today, there are numerous actors and many forms of pacific settlement that may be better suited to address different issues. Instead of putting the United Nations at the center of mediation efforts and exhorting States to support them, perhaps, the international community should lend encouragement to those most motivated and having the capacity to do so to settle these, as appropriate.”

 

“Of course, there could be many forms of division of tasks of pacific settlement of disputes between the United Nations and other concerned actors that can undoubtedly be devised. It is important, however, not to charge the United Nations with responsibilities that it maybe ill-suited to perform. Mediation, in every circumstance, is one such task, it is not geared to fulfil,” the Indian Ambassador concluded.

The statement from Indian high commissioner at the UN comes days after Pakistan new Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his willingness to improve relations between the border nations and said that his government would like the leaders of the two sides to resolve all disputes, including the “core issue” of Kashmir, through talks.