by S Jaishankar chairs India’s landmark event on reformed multilateralism
United Nations:
India reacted harshly to Pakistan yesterday after raising the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council, saying a country that has hosted slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and attacked a neighboring parliament has no credentials to “preach” to the power Organ of the United Nations.
Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the credibility of the United Nations depends on its effective response to the key challenges of our times, be it pandemics, climate change, conflict or terrorism.
“Today we are obviously focused on the urgency of reforming multilateralism. Of course we will have our particular views, but there is at least a growing consensus that this cannot be further delayed,” said Jaishankar, who chairs the Indian event on multilateralism reform.
“As we seek the best solutions, what our discourse must never accept is the normalization of such threats. The question of justifying what the world considers unacceptable should not even arise. That certainly applies to state sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Neither hosting Osama bin Laden and attacking a neighboring parliament can serve as credentials for preaching before this council,” he said.
Eighteen years ago, on December 13, Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists attacked the Parliament complex in New Delhi and opened fire, killing nine people.
Jaishankar’s strong remarks came after Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto raised the Kashmir issue during debate at the Reformed Multilateralism Council.
Jaishankar arrived here on Tuesday to chair two signature events on counter-terrorism and reformed multilateralism to be held under India’s current presidency of the United Nations Security Council, before the curtain falls on the country’s two-year term as an elected member of the UN Security Council this month. mighty 15 nations.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, chaired the debate when Bhutto addressed the Council.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. India’s decision drew strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded the diplomatic relations and expelled the Indian envoy.
India categorically stated to the international community that the abolition of Article 370 was its internal matter. He also advised Pakistan to accept reality and stop all anti-Indian propaganda.
India has told Pakistan that it wants normal neighborly relations with Islamabad in an environment free from terror, hostility and violence.
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