Afraid to growing global reactions against Pakistan-sponsored terrorist acts in India, the latest being Uri, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday tried to turn the table on India at the UN General Assembly, calling slain Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani a peaceful “young leader”.
Dwelling on Kashmir during his 20-minute speech, Sharif expressed readiness for a “serious and sustained dialogue” with India for peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, especially Jammu & Kashmir. He alleged atrocities in the Kashmir valley and said Pakistan “fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination”.
The Pakistan PM alleged “the extra- judicial killings” in the Valley and demanded an “independent enquiry” into it. He sought a UN fact-finding mission to Kashmir “so that those guilty of these atrocities are punished.”
Dismissing Sharif’s allegations, India asked how he can deny Pakistan’s involvement in the Uri attack when New Delhi has all ready provided it substantial proof.
Insisting that peace and normalisation between Pakistan and India cannot be achieved without a resolution of the Kashmir dispute, Sharif made a number of allegations with regard to the current unrest in the Valley. “This is an objective evaluation, not a partisan position,” he said.
While talking about the situation in Kashmir, Sharif referred to Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8, as a “young leader” and said he has “emerged as the symbol of the latest Kashmiri Intifada, a popular and peaceful freedom movement...”
Sharif said the “Indian brutalities are well documented” and 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” in Jammu & Kashmir.
“The Security Council has called for the exercise of the right to self-determination by the people of Jammu & Kashmir through a free and fair plebiscite held under UN auspices.
The people of Kashmir have waited 70 years for implementation of this promise,” he said, adding the Security Council must honour its commitments by implementing its own decisions.
Sharif, who spoke amid heightening tensions between India and Pakistan, insisted that his country wants peace with the neighbour as “confrontation should not be our destiny in South Asia.” The Pakistan PM claimed that he had “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 favour 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,” he added.
“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,” Sharif said.
He also said that Pakistan was “open to discussing all measures of restraint and responsibility with India, in any forum or format and without any conditions.”
Pakistan is “ready for talks to agree on a bilateral nuclear test ban treaty,” he added.
Claiming that Pakistan “neither wants, nor is engaged in an arms race with India”, Sharif said, “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.”