Sept. 30: In an unusual face-off, Indian and Pakistani diplomats engaged in heated exchanges in the UN General Assembly over Jammu and Kashmir. The sharp exchanges of words started after deputy envoy of Pakistan to UN charged India with sponsoring terrorism in the neighbouring countries. This led to Indians attacking Islamabad for raising Kashmir to deflect attention from its internal problems that needed to be addressed for the good of Pakistanis.
The Pakistan side appeared to have come with prepared remarks on contentious issues, while Indians seemed to have taken off-guard initially and did not offer comments on specific allegations.
“The Indian government is well advised to take careful stock of its own polices and conduct that includes supporting terrorist elements in neighbouring countries which contributes to the problems facing South Asia,” said Mr Amjad Hussain B. Sial, the deputy envoy of Pakistan to the UN.
“India is also the country which conceived, created and nurtured the most lethal terrorist organisation, which introduced suicide bombings in our region. Still India has the nerves to give lectures on morality to others,” he said in an indirect reference to the LTTE. These charges came hours after the external affairs minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, at the UN on Wednesday, criticised Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.