New Delhi: India will be using its right of reply in response to Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan’s references on Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir during his virtual speech at the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Addressing the UNGA, Khan touched upon a slew of issues including climate change, Islamophobia, and COVID-19. Prime Minister Khan also raked up the Kashmir issue during his address.
Asserting that Pakistan desires peace with India, Khan said that sustainable peace in South Asia is contingent upon the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. “The onus remains on India to create a conducive environment for meaningful and result-oriented engagement with Pakistan,” his statement read.
This is not the first time India will be using its Right to Reply against Khan. Last year as well, India had promptly responded to Pakistan PM’s comments and requested the United Nations for the floor to exercise the Right to Reply in response to Pakistan’s statements.
“The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India. The rules and legislation brought in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are strictly internal affairs of India”, Indian delegate Mijito Vinito had said in a strongly-worded reply.
Lambasting Khan, Vinito had said Imran “is the same person who referred to the terrorist Osama Bin Laden as a “Martyr” in his Parliament in July”.
Notably, India will exercise its Right of Reply after all the country speeches in the high-level debate of the 76th session of UNGA will conclude. That is typically when countries start exercising the right to respond to the statements made by any other country against them.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in New York, where he is scheduled to address the 76th session of UNGA. He left from Washington on Friday after holding a meeting with President Joe Biden and attending the Quad Summit.
