United Nations: India on Monday hit out at Pakistan at the UN, slamming Islamabad’s decision to refer to groups inside its own borders as ‘Fitna al-Hindustan’ as nothing but “officially sponsored misinformation and disinformation dressed in religious terminology.”
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, delivered a strong statement against Pakistan here during a UN Security Council meeting on the ‘Situation in Afghanistan’.
Hitting out strongly, Parvathaneni said that Pakistan coming up with official notifications, directing its government agencies to start referring to groups inside its own borders as ‘Fitna al Hindustan’, “is nothing but officially sponsored misinformation and disinformation dressed in religious terminology”.
Last year, the government of Pakistan officially designated all terrorist groups and organisations operating in Balochistan province ‘Fitna al Hindustan’, alleging, without giving any proof, that the outfits indulged in terrorism at India’s behest, according to Pakistani media reports.
Parvathaneni called it “an outcome of an organised factory of hate coming from the deep state of Pakistan, which aims to keep their citizens in a state of permanent hostility with India to perpetuate their stay in power and control of national resources and distract them from core political and economic problems.”
He added that the “de facto coup by the military through the 27th Constitutional Amendment is only its most recent manifestation.” The Indian envoy was referring to Pakistan’s parliament passing a constitutional amendment last year, which provided for the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). Field Marshal Asim Munir was appointed as Pakistan’s first CDF after that.
At the UNSC meeting, the Indian envoy also strongly condemned Pakistan’s campaign of military airstrikes against Afghanistan, which Delhi said is causing huge civilian casualties and suffering to the Afghan people.
“Let me reiterate. Dressing up a massacre as a military operation does not absolve the perpetrator. Killing, maiming, and orphaning civilians is not counter terrorism,” Parvathaneni said.
He added that espousing high principles of international law and Islamic solidarity while mercilessly carrying out air strikes during the holy month of Ramadan is the perfect example of hypocrisy.
“Blaming neighbours for its own failures is an old Pakistani habit. This attempt to hoodwink the world will fail,” the Indian envoy said.
