Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif Calls For End to India's Brutal Military Occupation of Kashmir

"A new generation of Kashmiris has risen spontaneously against India's illegal occupation - demanding freedom from occupation. Burhan Wani, the young leader murdered by Indian forces, has emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris, young and old, men and women, armed only with an undying faith in the legitimacy of their cause, and a hunger for freedom in their hearts."  Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif 

In an 18 minute speech to 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly today, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan condemned India's brutal military occupation of Kashmir and demanded a swift end to it.


Mr. Sharif  called for a UN-sponsored plebiscite under multiple UN Security Council resolutions to let the Kashmiris decide their own future. He said Pakistan is always ready for an unconditional dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding disputes including the core issue of Kashmir.

In an apparent reference to India's proxy war against Pakistan, the Prime Minister said, " We will not allow externally sponsored terrorism and threats of destabilization to cause turbulence in Pakistan."

In his speech, The Prime Minister asked for an independent inquiry into the continuing extrajudicial killings of innocent Kashmiris by Indian security forces. He said Pakistan is the principal victim of terrorism in South Asia region. He said his country seeks peace, not war or an arms race with its neighbor to the east.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan is "ready for talks (with India) to agree on a bilateral nuclear test ban treaty". He said Pakistan meets all the requirements for membership of the Nuclear Supplies Group.

Here's the full text of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech:


Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

We congratulate Mr. Peter Thomson on his election as President of the 71st Session of the General Assembly.

We agree that implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda should be the focus of this Session.

We also pay tribute to Mr. Mogens Lykketoft for his capable stewardship of the 70th Session


Mr. President,

Today, three decades after the end of the Cold War, our multipolar world is more free and vibrant, yet still chaotic and turbulent; more interdependent, but more unequal; more prosperous, yet still afflicted with poverty.

 We see spectacular progress, but also unprecedented human suffering.

The world is at a historic inflection point. The international order established after the Second World War is passing away, but a new order has yet to emerge.

Competition between the major powers is becoming more confrontational. This can pose serious threats to peace across Asia.

A new Cold War threatens to engulf Europe. The momentum there towards "greater union" has already reversed, Baricades and walls are going up, especially against the tide of misery flowing out of a turbulent Middle East, In many countries, intolerance has revived the ghosts of xenophobia and Islamophobia.

Turmoil is intensiffing in the Middle East, International efforts to defeat Daesh are therefore urgent. For this, it is essential to reconcile the divergent objectives and priorities of regional and external powers.

Peace cannot be built when injustice prevails. The long festering tragedy of Palestine demands determined action by the international community

Mr. President,

After decades of strong growth, the world economy has reached a plateau.

Despite this adverse international economic environment, my government has, in three short years, moved the country towards robust growth.

We have fully integrated the 2030 Development Agenda into our own economic and social strategy.

This rests on our conviction that people are the true wealth of our nation and that it is human development, which will determine our future destiny.

Mr. President,

Our priority goal of economic development requires internal peace and stability. My country has been the principal victim of terrorism including that supported, sponsored and financed from abroad.

We will not allow externally sponsored terrorism and threats of destabilization to cause turbulence in Pakistan.

Tens of thousands of our citizens and thousands of our security personnel have been killed or injured in terrorist attacks.

This has only reinforced our resolve to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. Our comprehensive strategy of law enforcement and targeted military operations has produced remarkable results and enabled Pakistan to turn the tide against terrorism.

Pakistan's Zarb-e-Azb Operation is the largest, most robust and most successful anti-terrorism campaign anywhere in the world, deploying 200,000 of our security forces.

Our comprehensive National Action Plan has the complete endorsement of our people and our Parliament as well as our security forces, all of whom have made heroic sacrifices to defeat terrorism.

Mr. President,

Terrorism, however, is now a global phenomenon, which must be addressed comprehensively and in all its forms, including State terrorism.

The international community must coordinate its efforts to accomplish this. These efforts should be taken collectively and not unilaterally by the passage of any laws with extra-territorial application targeted against certain countries.

We will not win the fight against terrorism and violent extremism so long as we do not address their root causes. These lie in poverty and ignorance, political and social injustice and oppression, foreign intervention and occupation and denial of the legitimate rights of peoples and nations, especially the right to self-determination.

Until these underlying causes are addressed, it will be difficult to counter the twisted narrative of violent extremists and terrorists.

Mr. President,

After 15 years of the current war in Afghanistan, the international community agrees that the only road to a lasting peace in that country is through a dialogue between the Government in Kabul and the Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan has long proposed this as the most viable course to end decades of conflict and suffering in Afghanistan.

Based on this belief in a negotiated peace, and in response to requests from President Ashraf Ghani, we have been facilitating the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan.

There have been setbacks. That, however, is not a sufficient reason to abandon the path of peace and rely on the military option, which has failed, for the past decade and a half, to stabilize Afghanistan.

Progress will be assured only when the Afghan parties themselves conclude that there is no military solution to the Afghan war, and work assiduously, through a meaningful dialogue process, for achieving reconciliation and peace at home.

Mr. President,

Over three and a half decades of conflict and chaos in Afghanistan has had grave security and economic consequences for Pakistan. Almost three million Afghan refugees, to whom we opened our homes and hearts, remain in Pakistan. We hope to see them return to Afghanistan, voluntarily and with dignity Until they do, the international community must shoulder its responsibilities to sustain them.

Mr. President,

Confrontation should not be our destiny in South Asia. Pakistan wants peace with India, I have gone the extra mile to achieve this, repeatedly offering a dialogue to address all outstanding issues. But India has posed unacceptable preconditions to engage in a dialogue. Let us be clear: talks are no favor to Pakistan. Talks are in the interest of both countries. They are essential to resolve our differences, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and to avert the danger of any escalation.

Mr. President,

Peace and normalization between Pakistan and India cannot be achieved without a resolution of the Kashmir dispute. This is an objective evaluation, not a partisan position.

Our predictions have now been confirmed by events. A new generation of Kashmiris has risen spontaneously against India's illegal occupation - demanding freedom from occupation. Burhan Wani, the young leader murdered by Indian forces, has emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement, led by Kashmiris, young and old, men and women, armed only with an undying faith in the legitimacy of their cause, and a hunger for freedom in their hearts.

Mr. President,

This indigenous uprising of the Kashmiris has been met, as usual, with brutal repression by India's occupation force of over half a million soldiers. Over a hundred Kashmiris have been killed, hundreds, including children and infants, blinded by shotgun pellets and over six thousand unarmed civilians injured over the past two months.

These Indian brutalities are well documented. I would like to inform the General Assembly that Pakistan will share with the Secretary General a dossier containing detailed information and evidence of the gross and systematic violations of human rights committed by Indian forces in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

These brutalities will not suppress the spirit of the Kashmiris; it will only intensiff their anger and fotlify their determination to see India end its occupation of Kashmir. From Srinagar to Sopore, the men, women and children come out each day, def,ring curfew, to demand freedom.

Mr. President,

Pakistan fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination, as promised to them by several Security Council resolutions. Their struggle is a legitimate one for liberation from alien occupation. International law and the declarations of the United Nations on Self Determination, give the Kashmiri people the right to struggle for their freedom. Every year, the General Assembly unanimously adopts the resolution, which reaffirms "the right of all people's to self-determination" and calls on the states concerned to immediately end their occupation and "all acts of repression."

Mr. President,

On behalf of the Kashmiri people; on behalf of the mothers, wives, sisters, and fathers of the innocent Kashmiri children, women and men who have been killed, blinded and injured; on behalf of the Pakistani nation, I demand an independent inquiry into the extra-judicial killings, and a IJN fact finding mission to investigate brutalities perpetrated by the Indian occupying forces, so that those guilty of these atrocities are punished. We demand the immediate release of all Kashmiri political prisoners; an end to the curfew; freedom for the Kashmiris to demonstrate peacefully; urgent medical help for the injured; abrogation of India's draconian 'laws'; and removal of the foreign travel ban on Kashmiri leaders.

Mr. President,

The Security Council has called for the exercise of the right to self- determination by the people of Jammu and Kashmir through a free and fair plebiscite held under IIN auspices. The people of Kashmir have waited 70 years for implementation of this promise. The Security Council must honour its commitments by implementing its own decisions. This General Assembly must demand that India deliver on the commitments its leaders solemnly made on many occasions To this end, steps should be taken by the United Nations to de-militarize Jammu and Kashmir and undertake consultations with India, Pakistan and the true representatives of the Kashmiri people to implement the resolutions of the Security Council. In this context, we welcome the offer of good offices by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. We will also open consultations with members of the Security Council to explore the modalities for implementation of the Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.

Mr. President,

The international community ignores the danger of rising tensions in South Asia, at its own peril. For its part, Pakistan is committed to the establishment of strategic stability in the region. It neither wants, nor is it engaged in an arms race with India. But we cannot ignore our neighbor's unprecedented arms build up and will take whatever measures are necessary to maintain credible deterrence. We have consistently urged the conclusion of bilateral arms control and disarmament measures between Pakistan and India to prevent conflict and avoid wasteful military expenditures. We are open to discussing all measures of restraint and responsibility with India, in any forum or format and without any conditions. We are ready for talks to agree on a bilateral nuclear test ban treaty. Today, from this rostrum, I would also like to reiterate our offer to India to enter into a serious and sustained dialogue for the peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, especially Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr. President,

As a responsible nuclear weapon state, Pakistan will continue to cooperate with all international efforts that seek to promote fair and equitable solutions to disarmament and non-proliferation challenges. We have introduced 'state of the aft' measures to strengthen the safety and security of our nuclear materials and facilities. We have adopted a comprehensive export control regime that is fully consistent with international standards. Judged on the basis of objective criteria, and without discrimination, Pakistan is fully eligible for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.

Mr. President,

 In our turbulent and interdependent world, the United Nations remains an indispensable Organization to restore order and ensure global peace, stability and prosperity. Its principles remain the crucial pillars of international legality, the guide for the conduct of Member States and the guarantor of the legitimate rights of all nations and peoples. The IIN must regain its credibility as the central instrument for the promotion of peace, prosperity and liberty. To that end, it should become more representative, transparent and accountable. A comprehensive and democratic reform of the Security Council, which Pakistan supports, should enhance its relevance and representation, Creating new centers of privilege will do the opposite.

Mr. President,

Pakistan's unwavering commitment to the UN is well established. We have played a pioneering and consistent role in UN Peacekeeping. Despite our own security requirements, we will remain one of world's largest troop contributing countries and maintain our record of success in multiple UN peacekeeping operations.

Mr. President,

Pakistan has a vital stake in ending conflicts, fostering peace, fighting terorism, strengthening democracy, promoting human rights, generating global growth and overcoming the challenges of environmental degradation. We can achieve these goals, and create a new and peaceful world order, only through the United Nations and by strict adherence to the principles of its Charter.

I thank you, Mr. President.

Here's a video of Prime Minister Sharif's UNGA speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LJiC8pWYHU



Related Links:


Haq's Musings

700,000 Indian Soldiers Vs 10 Million Kashmiris

What if Modi Attacks Pakistan?

India's Proxy War Against Pakistan

1965 India-Pakistan War

2016 Kashmir Uprising

Kashmir in Context

Arundhati Roy on Indian Military Occupation of Kashmir

JNU Anti-Modi Protests

18 comments:

Rauf said...

Speech was disappointing because it was for Pakistan audience - to get popularity. No passion maybe he was just reading to world audience. Kuch impact hoga Riazbhai?

Riaz Haq said...

Rauf: "Kuch impact hoga Riazbhai?"


It will have an impact only if it is part of a wider campaign to tell the world what the brutal Indian occupation is doing to the innocent unarmed Kashmiris and the horrible consequences it could produce for the world if it leads to a nuclear confrontation in the region.

Riaz Haq said...

#Pakistan military prepares for a possible #India attack. #F16s flights, landing on Motorway, airspace part closure

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/pakistan-military-prepares-for-a-possible-indian-attack/2016/09/22/def9eaea-80d4-11e6-9578-558cc125c7ba_story.html

Military officials are calling it a routine exercise, but the thunderous spectacle of Pakistani fighter jets touching down on a major highway Wednesday and Thursday, with commercial flights suspended and traffic blocked for hours, has fueled public speculation that something much more ominous is afoot.

The display of military readiness, which included a late-night jet flyover Thursday above this capital city, has come amid an unusually tense showdown with India, Pakistan’s nuclear-armed rival, following a militant attack Sunday that killed 18 Indian soldiers in the disputed border region of Kashmir. The air exercise led to the closure of commercial airspace over several regions of the country and triggered a sudden drop in the nation’s stock market.

Indian officials have accused Pakistan of sending the armed attackers across the de facto border into the Indian portion of Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under public pressure to retaliate for Sunday’s assault, vowed that those behind the “despicable attack” would not go unpunished. So far, though, his government has taken no action.

Pakistani officials have strongly denied the charges, and its military leaders have declared that they are prepared to defend Pakistani territory from any attack by India, and also to launch a “counter-offensive” in case of an Indian strike. The two neighboring countries have been adversaries for decades and have fought four wars.

On Thursday, Indian naval officials issued a high alert for coastal areas after school children claimed to have seen four men moving “suspiciously” near a naval facility near the city of Mumbai, according to the Press Trust of India. Schools and some public buildings in the area were shut while a manhunt was conducted, and security was tightened at other coastal facilities.

In New York, meanwhile, Pakistan and Indian officials have carried on a parallel war of words at the U.N. General Assembly. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif delivered a strident speech Wednesday, denouncing what he called ongoing Indian repression against unarmed protesters in Kashmir.

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Shahid Latif, a former deputy air force chief, said it was important to remind India of Pakistan’s military and nuclear strength as a deterrent to any impulsive act. He said the air force now has upgraded F-16s and JF-17 Thunder fighter planes.

“India is very frustrated and it could do something rash, such as launching surgical strikes,” he said. “Our forces are well prepared to counter any Indian attack, our air force is doing the exercises and the motorway is also being used for that.” If India attacks, he said, “our military command knows what it has to do.”

Pakistani officials said that on Wednesday and Thursday, Pakistani fighter planes landed and took off repeatedly at several points along the six-lane highway linking Islamabad with the eastern city of Lahore, near the Indian border. Highway officials said they were informed only shortly before each landing, and that they then diverted traffic to other roads.

They said the fighter jets also landed Wednesday on another six-lane motorway that connects Islamabad to the western city of Peshawar to Islamabad. They said flights from Islamabad to the northern areas of Gilgit, Chitral and Skardu were suspended and will remain so for the next several days, with local airports being used by the air force.

Sgt Catskill said...

A major chink in Pakistan's position is its inability to act on terror infrastructure inspired by Islamic fundamentalism that is rife in many parts of the country. The country has yet to bring conspirators of The Mumbai Terrorists Attacks to justice per UN charter. The speech runs hollow to many western UN diplomats because terrorists attacks in their respective countries have either direct or indirect links to Pakistan.

India will post a severe and shattering rebuttal.

Riaz Haq said...

Catskill: "A major chink in Pakistan's position is its inability to act on terror infrastructure inspired by Islamic fundamentalism that is rife in many parts of the country. "

Talk of terrorism is a red herring here.

The real issue is the brutal military occupation of Kashmir by 700,000 Indian troops.

Anyone who says otherwise in lying.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/700000-indian-soldiers-versus-10.html

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan’s Prime Minister has spoken at the UN. The general and pervasive opinion is that his speech was good, covered all important issues and presented Pakistan’s and Kashmir’s case forcefully. Nitpicker’s aside this is what the majority of Pakistanis expected of him and he has delivered. The Prime Minister also met with the US Secretary of State and the carefully worded press release clearly indicates that it was a good meeting—‘—-“– “The Prime Minister and Secretary Kerry expressed strong concern with recent violence in Kashmir — particularly the army base attack — and the need for all sides to reduce tensions.” — The readout by India analysts from this is that—Pakistan was not censured, that the US shared Pakistan’s concern over violence in Kashmir, that the two month old violence in IHK is the reason behind the URI attack and that the US favors talks between India and Pakistan to reduce tensions—-not far off the mark, but clearly indicative that this is not what India expected– and of course nothing about their expectations being unrealistic. In this context the quotes from Dr Perkovich listed above are very relevant.

Immediately after the Uri attack India pointed the finger at Pakistan and the hawks in India and Indian media went ballistic in demanding retaliation against Pakistan. It did not help matters that there were irresponsible statements from responsible people in India. The initial Indian reaction was probably to deflect focus from the fact that a military facility in a violence racked area where the Indian military was committing unspeakable atrocities was so badly guarded that a few attackers could carry out a successful attack. After the rage in IHK and the killing and blinding of Kashmiris such a reaction should have been expected. The reaction in Pakistan was also strong because India had unmistakably signaled its intention to destabilize Pakistan through covert operations — overt disclosure of covert intentions much earlier. In the prevailing environment any military action that India undertakes would be disproportionate because it would be the first step on an escalatory ladder with no end. The post Pathankot format should have been followed — investigation, marshalling of credible evidence, joint investigation and finally mutually agreed action. India’s reaction so far is exactly what the attackers wanted — conflict that highlights the violence in Kashmir or a proxy war of covert operations between India and Pakistan that leads to overt support of the freedom struggle in Kashmir. It is just as well that the realization is dawning that nuclear weapon states cannot get into escalatory situations and that media and hawks’ pressures should not dictate actions.

Pakistan has offered strategic restraint, it has offered moratorium on nuclear testing and its offer of unconditional comprehensive dialogue is on the table. What is needed is statesmanship and diplomacy to get out of the pressures generated by the violence in Kashmir and the Uri attack so that the focus can shift to dialogue between India and Pakistan and between India and the long suffering Kashmiris in IHK. India needs a rethink on relations with Pakistan and on its policy in Kashmir. It is good that the Prime Minister and the President of Iran have had a good meeting. A similar meeting is needed with the Afghan President because short sighted political survival oriented policies will not help Afghanistan in the long run. The US understands the complexity of the situation in South Asia and it needs to balance its policy in the region so that it does not add to the existing complexity and still gets its concerns addressed. The answer is not the isolation of Pakistan but a drawing in of Pakistan to lead to a situation from where the transition to a resolution of protracted conflicts becomes a possibility.


http://spearheadresearch.org/index.php/researchopinions/beyond-uri

Jonathan said...

Seems like you are the one who has nit picked bits and pieces to suit the Pakistani narrative. All diplomats do lip service to appease - but that does not, not at all means they accept the Pakistani narrative. Far from it.

Riaz Haq said...

Jonathan: " Seems like you are the one who has nit picked bits and pieces to suit the Pakistani narrative. All diplomats do lip service to appease - but that does not, not at all means they accept the Pakistani narrative. Far from it"

Read the following NY Times piece. Temporary calm is misinterpreted by Indians as normalcy but the Kashmir issue will not go away as long as 10 million Kashmiris resist brutal Indian military occupation by 700,000 Indian soldiers.

" The dispute over its control, which has led to two wars, had appeared to be relatively dormant since 2010 as tourists returned to the scenic region and turnouts in elections were large. That led the Indian government to believe that the turbulence of recent decades might be over, says Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of the northernmost Indian state, Jammu and Kashmir. That thinking, it now appears, was a mistake."


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/22/world/asia/kashmir-india-pakistan-unrest.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Riaz Haq said...

Ex diplomat MK Bhadrakumar on Sharif-Kerry meeting:

While watching various Delhi TV channels tonight on issues surrounding Sunday’s attack on Uri base, one gets the depressing feeling that we are being delusional. What is entirely lacking is the ethical standard that the media should not incite public opinion by feeding it with such patent falsehoods.

We are living in a fool’s paradise, being led up the garden path by a bombastic leadership and led to believe falsely that the international community is rooting for India, that the country’s prestige is soaring sky-high, etc. and, therefore, Pakistan stands ‘isolated’.

In reality, though, the readout of the US State Department on the meeting between Secretary of State John Kerry and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in New York on September 20 should come as an eye-opener. The readout is reproduced below:

Secretary Kerry met Monday with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif to discuss our strong, long-term bilateral partnership and to build upon the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue. The Secretary commended the Prime Minister for restoring macroeconomic stability to Pakistan over the last three years and expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s cooperation on climate change priorities.

The Secretary reiterated the need for Pakistan to prevent all terrorists from using Pakistani territory as safe havens, while commending recent efforts by Pakistani security forces to counter extremist violence. They also spoke about regional issues, including recent developments with regard to Afghanistan. The Prime Minister and Secretary Kerry expressed strong concern with recent violence in Kashmir — particularly the army base attack — and the need for all sides to reduce tensions.

Secretary Kerry also stressed the need for restraint in nuclear weapons programs. The Secretary praised Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees for over 40 years and highlighted the importance of continued respect for humanitarian principles.

This is a carefully worded document, drafted by career diplomats with the full knowledge of the intelligence inputs available with the US State Department regarding the attack that took place on Uri base over 36 hours previously on Sunday. Nonetheless, such manifestly effusive sentiments and fulsome praise for Pakistan have been attributed to Kerry.

See the expressions that have been used in the document with great deliberation – “strong, long-term bilateral partnership”; “commended the Prime Minister”; “expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s cooperation”; “commending recent efforts by Pakistani security forces to counter extremist violence”; “praised Pakistan for hosting Afghan refugees for over 40 years”, et al.

Most significantly, the reference to J&K and Uri attack is framed as the shared opinion of Sharif and Kerry – “The Prime Minister and Secretary Kerry expressed strong concern with recent violence in Kashmir — particularly the army base attack — and the need for all sides to reduce tensions.” What does this single stunning sentence imply in plain language, shorn of diplomatic idiom?

One, US is not willing to censure Pakistan;

Two, US shares Pakistan’s “strong concern over recent violence in Kashmir”;

Three, the Uri base attack is to be seen squarely in the context of the 2-month old upheaval in Kashmir Valley; and,

Four, US agrees with Pakistan on the need to reduce tensions (read on the imperative need of India-Pakistan talks).

The point that really makes one shudder is that Kerry does not think this is an act of cross-border terrorism. The Americans seem to have arrived at some conclusions of their own regarding what happened in Uri, which do not tally with our account.

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2016/09/21/why-indian-public-is-delusional-on-pakistan/

Riaz Haq said...

Modi diplomacy faces moment of truth

The report on the arrival of a Russian army contingent to participate in the first-ever military exercises with Pakistan since 1947 will come as a bitter moment of truth for the Narendra Modi government’s disastrous one-dimensional foreign policy course.

Of course, this is a huge topic of far-reaching significance and it deserves a full spectrum analysis separately. Meanwhile, what matters in real time today is that the ballyhoo that Modi boosted India’s influence like at no time in independent history, et al, stands rubbished as empty bluster in front of the national (and regional and international) audience.

The only good part is that Indians can heave a sigh of relief that notwithstanding all the sabre-rattling by such figures in the ruling circles as former RSS spokesman Ram Madhav — ‘tooth-for-jaw’, etc. — there isn’t going to be war between India and Pakistan. It is a comforting thought.

Obviously, Russians do not take seriously the prospect of Indian retaliation on Uri attack. Or else, they wouldn’t have dispatched their soldiers to a potential war zone. With all their military satellites over South Asia, Russians estimate that ‘hawks’ like Madhav are indulging in vacuous rhetoric to appease their constituency of Sangh Parivar and Hindu nationalists.

In political terms, this makes our leaders look the emperor without clothes, farcical and ugly – with nowhere to hide. They speak of ‘tooth-for-jaw’ without meaning a damn thing, making fools out of us.

Second, it is a diplomatic snub insofar as, evidently, Russians do not buy into India’s argument that Uri attack was staged by Pakistan. Third, in strategic terms, Russians signal their intention to move forward with the project to build sinews of a partnership with Pakistan, putting in place building blocks, and Delhi has to learn to live with this reality.

Fourth, in geopolitical terms, Russians signal that if India bandwagons with the US’ pivot to Asia against the backdrop of New Cold War, they will be constrained to respond. Finally, please note that the fortnight-long military exercise will be held in the tribal areas of Pakistan and in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The symbolism is self-evident — plain rejection of Modi government’s policy shift on Kashmir to irrationally stake claims to Gilgit-Baltistan as integral part of India. The Indian protestations over China-Pakistan Economic Corridor on the specious plea that the projects partially involve Gilgit-Baltistan become even more untenable.

----

Modi’s aides could have taken one good look at the map to know that inciting unrest in Baluchistan cannot go hand in hand with our projects in Chabahar in Sistan-Baluchistan. Rouhani told Sharif that Tehran will not allow contradictions involving Chabahar and Gwadar. Does Iran have the wherewithal to fulfill the assurance? You bet, it has. If Iranians could keep Mossad-CIA-MI6 at bay effectively through past 3 decades, they must be knowing their job.

By M K Bhadrakumar – September 23, 2016

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2016/09/23/modi-diplomacy-faces-moment-of-truth/

Riaz Haq said...

Watch this fact finding mission report of Indian journalists who went to Kashmir and gave the report a few days ago

All Kashmiris of all ages and classes want Azadi from India. No Pakistan involvement in the current protest movement. No Wahabis involved.


http://youtu.be/Phu5usHCdOQ

jodhi said...

Here’s the full text of Eenam Gambhir’s statement and response to PM Nawaz Sharif:

Mr. President,

I take the floor to exercise the right of reply in response to the long tirade of Pakistan about the situation in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The worst violation of human rights is terrorism. When practiced as an instrument of state policy it is a war crime.

What my country and our other neighbours are facing today is Pakistan’s long-standing policy of sponsoring terrorism, the consequences of which have spread well beyond our region.

Mr President,

Only last week, the international community honored the memory of thousands of innocent victims from around the world, who lost their lives not far from here in New York fifteen years ago in a most horrifying terror attack.

The world has not yet forgotten that the trail of that dastardly attack led all the way to Abbottabad in Pakistan.

The land of Taxila, one of the greatest learning centers of ancient times, is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism. It attracts aspirants and apprentices from all over the world.

The effect of its toxic curriculum are felt across the globe.

It is ironical therefore that we have seen today the preaching of human rights and ostensible support for self-determination by a country which has established itself as the global epicentre of terrorism.

Mr President,

Shortly before Pakistan gave its hypocritical sermons in this august house today, its envoy in New Delhi was summoned in the context of the most recent of the terror attacks in Uri that claimed 18 Indian lives. That terrorist attack is part of a trail of continuous flow of terrorists trained and armed by our neighbour and tasked to carry out terrorist attacks in my country.

What we see in Pakistan, Mr. President, is a terrorist state, which channelizes billions of dollars, much of it diverted from international aid, to training, financing and supporting terrorist groups as militant proxies against it neighbours.

Terrorist entities and their leaders, including many designated by the UN, continue to roam its streets freely and operate with State support. With the approval of authorities, many terrorist organizations raise funds openly in flagrant violation of Pakistan’s international obligations.

Mr President,

Even today we have heard support by the Prime Minister of Pakistan for a self-acknowledged commander of a known terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen.

Pakistan is a country with a democracy deficit. In fact it practices terrorism on its own people. It extends support to extremist groups, it suppresses minorities and women and denies basic human rights including through draconian laws.

As a democracy India is firmly resolved to protect all our citizens from all acts of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. We cannot and will not allow terrorism to prevail.

Finally, Mr President, we have heard Pakistan, whose nuclear proliferation record is marked by deception and deceit, talking about restraint, renunciation and peace.

Similar false promises it has made to us – the international community – on terrorism. Perhaps renunciation of lies and self-restraint on threats could be a good place for Pakistan to start.

I thank you Mr President.

Riaz Haq said...


jodhi: " The worst violation of human rights is terrorism. When practiced as an instrument of state policy it is a war crime"

The essence of Kashmir issue today is not Uri or Pathankot or similar other alleged "militant attacks" or "terrorism"; it is India's brutal military occupation force of 700,000 heavily-armed Indian soldiers being resisted by over 10 million Kashmiris. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar.


http://www.riazhaq.com/2016/09/700000-indian-soldiers-versus-10.html

Riaz Haq said...

Maleeha Lodhi's response to Sushma Swaraj's UN GA speech:


Her (Sushma Swaraj) statement is a litany of falsehoods about Pakistan and a travesty of facts and history. It only reflects the deceit and hostility of her Government towards Pakistan.

...Their call for freedom has been met with characteristic Indian brutality. During the last two and a half months, over a hundred innocent Kashmiris have been killed, hundreds blinded and thousands injured by Indian bullets and pellets, including infants, children, women and men. This is the worst form of state terrorism, a war crime, that India has continued to perpetrate in the situation of foreign occupation in Jammu and Kashmir for the past many decades.

Pakistan demands a full and impartial investigation of these Indian atrocities and massive human rights violations in Kashmir. We ask that India accept the investigation proposed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and allow them access for the purpose.

Mr. President,

Jammu and Kashmir never was and can never be an integral part of India. It is a disputed territory, the final status of which has yet to be determined in accordance with several resolutions of the UN Security Council.

The right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination has been recognized and promised to them by the UN Security Council and by India and Pakistan.

For 70 years, India has prevented the Kashmiris, through force and fraud, from exercising this right and holding the UN supervised Plebiscite to enable the Kashmiris to determine their political destiny.

The struggle of the Kashmiri people for self-determination is a legitimate struggle. And, they have the right to receive moral and political support from the international community.

Mr. President,

The attack on the Indian Army base in Uri, particularly its timing, has all the hallmarks of anoperation designed to divert attention from India's atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The international community is well aware that several such incidents have been staged in the past to serve India’s tactical and propaganda objectives.

India is utilizing the Uri incident to blame Pakistan for the current Kashmiri uprising and divert attention from its brutal occupation.

India’s government is delusional if it believes that it can "isolate" any country. It is India itself, which because of its war crimes in Kashmir and elsewhere, and because of its warmongering, is likely to be isolated in the international community.

Mr. President,

It is India that has long been a sponsor and practitioner of state terrorism.

Over the course of the last half century, India has sponsored and perpetrated terrorism and aggression against all its neighbors; creating terrorist groups; destabilizing and blockading neighbors to do its strategic bidding and sponsoring subversion, sabotage and terrorism in various parts of Pakistan.

The recently captured Indian spy, an intelligenceofficer, Kulbhushan Yadav, has confessed to India’s support to such terrorist and subversive activities particularly in Balochistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Indeed, it was Kulbhushan, who was financing, arming and supporting individuals and entities listed under the UN sanctions regime.

India’s policy of interference in Pakistan, especially its attempt to destabilize Balochistan, are now on record. This is blatant violation of the principles of the UN Charter.

http://pakun.org/statements/Plenary_of_General_Assembly/2016/09262016-01.php

Anonymous said...

Hassan Nisar has been making an excellent point. He says that we should compare the passion to Zulfi Bhutto to the total lack of enthusiasm of Nawaz Sharif in this critical confrontation with India. I think he is correct.

Here is the passion of Bhutto:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLSR9rWiBiU

Here is the total lack of conviction of Nawaz Sharif:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LJiC8pWYHU

Riaz Haq said...

#India Media Photo Of #Pakistan’s PM #Sharif Speaking To Empty Room At The #UNGA Is Fake. https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/shatif-nawaz-empty-room-unga-hoax?utm_term=.qoPVxZ6aG … via @iD4RO @BuzzFeedCanada

This photo allegedly showing Pakistan’s prime minister speaking to an empty room at the United Nations is making the rounds online. It’s a fake.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday, one of many world leaders speaking this week at the opening of a new session. But this is not what it looked like.
The image is especially popular among Indian social media users, with many suggesting it reflects how poorly Pakistan is regarded by the international community.

In fact, it’s a doctored version of an image of former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s speech to the General Assembly in 2014.

Harper was mocked at the time for his poorly-attended speech, but he is by no means an outlier. Many nations’ leaders see a lot of empty chair staring back at them as other countries’ delegations prepare their own remarks outside the chamber.
Similar criticism was thrown at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he addressed the General Assembly in 2014.

In that case, it was mostly Pakistanis and critics of India who pointed out the empty seats.

Riaz Haq said...

#India's #Modi's #Pakistan Policy Lies Completely In Tatters. #UNGA http://www.ndtv.com/opinion/why-sushma-swarajs-speech-at-un-wont-amount-to-much-1466597 … via @ndtv


As far as the United States is concerned, notwithstanding Modi's heroic efforts to impress Obama with his ten-lakh rupee bandhgala and his repeated invocation of "Barak" so that TV conveys his closeness to the US president, and Obama having designated India, during Modi's State visit to Washington in June, as a "Major Defense Partner", the US reaction to Modi's remarks on Balochistan was conveyed to the world by the US State department spokesman, John Kirby, in response to a pointed question from an Indian journalist about a month later, on September 13: "The government policy," he said disarmingly, "is that we support the territorial integrity of Pakistan". He added, for good measure, "We do not support independence for Balochistan".


And as for the Non-Aligned Movement, whose summit Modi skipped in a calculated downgrading of NAM, not one member has had a word of condemnation for Pakistan. Indeed, Iran, till recently chair of NAM, arranged for their President, Hassan Rouhani, to meet Nawaz Sharif in New York on 21 September, three days after Uri and the morning after Sharif's thundering denunciation of India at the UN, and "lauded PM Nawaz's vision" in translating the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor - Modi's bugbear - "into reality", describing it as "vital to the progress of the region" and seeking admission to it. Then Rouhani delivered himself of a string of poetic aphorisms: "Pakistan's security and progress is the security and progress of Iran"; "development of any part of Pakistan is the development of a part of Iran"; "borders of the two countries are border of security and friendship". Iran's Chahbahar port, that India sees as its gift to Iran, and as an alternative to CPEC, lies in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province. Why would Iran support Modi on a demand that Chahbahar (or Gwadar) be handed over to the Bugtis and the Marris?

Riaz Haq said...

#Canada's #Trudeau speaks to empty hall at UN. Just like everyone else. #UNGA #NewYork http://blogs.canoe.com/davidakin/politics/trudeau-speaks-to-empty-hall-at-un-and-that-doesnt-matter/#.V-r4IgDf1SM.twitter …

In fact, this is the way it is for almost any leader. New UK PM Theresa May spoke just before Trudeau today and it was empty for her.

I’ve covered the UN leaders week three times and sat in that hall and watched leaders of China, Russia, France, Germany — you name it — speak to empty seats. The only leader that fills the hall every time is the president of the United States (no matter who s/he is).

That’s the just the way it is at the UN.