Sushma Swaraj thanks PM Modi for ‘inspirational’ message

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly here, Swaraj, who was speaking a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had raised the settlement of the Kashmir issue again at the UNGA, said that the masterminds of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack are still walking free in Pakistan which was an affront to the entire worldwide community.

In contemptuously dismissing Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s “four-point peace initiative”, the External Affairs Minister observed that four points were not needed to establish peace; just one – that Pakistan stop terrorism – would suffice.

“Give up terrorism and let us sit down and talk”.

“This was exactly what was discussed and determined by both Prime Ministers at Ufa this July”.

Swaraj proposed a path forward: that the two governments’ national security advisers hold talks on terrorism, and senior military officers address the situation at the border.

The severity of Pakistan’s attack on Ms. Swaraj’s speech seems linked to the shift in the Indian strategy towards bringing up Pakistan’s human rights violations in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, including Gilgit and Baltistan.

The diplomat said the “whole world” was “united in unequivocally condemning terrorism, except India…” She said: “If the response is serious and credible, India is prepared to address all outstanding issues through a bilateral dialogue“. She urged them to work for an early conclusion of the Comprehensive worldwide Convention on Terrorism. The official also rejected criticism that the new policy of highlighting PoK issues could lead to “internationalising” the Kashmir issue, which India has avoided for decades. “UN has been successful in preventing a third world war, in assisting decolonization and dismantling apartheid, in combating global epidemics, reducing global hunger and in promiting democracy and human rights”, she said. In her speech, Sushma hit out at Pakistan and also told the UNGA that the world can not afford to differentiate between good terror and bad terror.

To put it differently, the worldwide community must not expect India to smoke the peace pipe till the terror faucet is totally turned off by that state.