India blasts Pakistan after Nawaz Sharif speech at UNGA

In his speech at the UN on Wednesday, Sharif  described slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani as a “young leader” and said India is attaching pre-conditions for peace talks around Kashmir.

India's Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar: in New York holding a press conference immediately said Pakistan at the moment seemed to be run by a war machine. He said Pakistan is asking for talks holding a gun and that that too of a terrorist gun.

"We will not succumb to the blackmail tactics of the government in Islamabad that seems eager to use terrorism and terrorists as policy. We heard the glorification of a terrorist.

"Burhan Wani [slain Hizbul leader] is a self declared commander of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. It is internationally a terrorist group," said Akbar, as he went on to blast Sharif as a "leader of a nation who can glorify a self declared and self advertised terrorist at such a forum," said Akbar.

He said Pakistan is showing rising immaturity and complete disregard of facts.

"The world also knows that Pakistan has indulged in ethnic cleansing of its own people (read Balochistan)," he said, adding that the people of Pakistan are paying the price for such action of the government.

Ahead of the press conference in response to Sharif's speech, India's official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup tweeted: "Pak PM Sharif at #UNGA in complete denial of Uri terror attack. 19 infiltration attempts stopped at LoC this year. Indigenous??!!"

"Pak PM Sharif at #UNGA glorifies Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani in UN's highest forum. Shows continued Pak attachment to terrorism. PM Sharif at #UNGA says India poses unacceptable conditions to dialogue. India's only condition is an end to terrorism. This not acceptable?"

Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif  at the United Nations General Assembly said India is imposing unacceptable conditions for talks over Kashmir with Pakistan.

"Pakistan wants peace with India. We have gone the extra mile and repeatedly offered dialogue. But India has imposed unacceptable preconditions to engage in a dialogue," Sharif said.

He said talks are in interest of both countries.

Sharif said, "The United Nations ignores rising tensions in South Asia at its own peril. Pakistan is not engaged in arms race but we cannot ignore neighbours' arms build-up and will take whatever measures necessary to counter their arms build-up".

Earlier in the day in New Delhi, Indian Foreign Secretary Jaishankar  called in the High Commissioner of Pakistan Abdul Basit and reminded him that the government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 to not allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India.

"The persistent and growing violation of this undertaking is a matter of very serious concern," Jaishankar noted in the wake of the recent terror attack on army base camp last Sunday which left 18 Indian soldiers martyred.

"The latest terrorist attack in Uri only underlines that the infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan remains active. We demand that Pakistan lives up to its public commitment to refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorism against India," Jaishankar said.

This year, beginning with the Pathankot airbase attack, there have been continuous attempts by armed terrorists to cross the LoC and International Boundary in order to carry out attacks in India.

Seventeen such attempts have been interdicted at or around the LoC, resulting in the elimination of thirty one terrorists and preventing their intended acts of terrorism.

Foreign Secretary also reminded the Pakistan envoy that even as he spoke two engagements at the LoC were ongoing.