India used its “Right of Reply” at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Ukraine to criticise Pakistan for bringing up the unrelated Jammu and Kashmir issue and urged the neighbouring country to look into its history of harbouring terrorists and giving them safe havens with impunity.
The Counselor at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Pratik Mathur, said, “Our advice to the delegate of Pakistan is to refer to our numerous Rights to Reply that we have exercised in the past.”
“Pakistan has only to look at itself and its track record as a state that harbours and provides safe havens to terrorists and does so with impunity,” Mathur added.
Referring it to as an uncalled-for provocation to rake up Kashmir on a session about Ukraine at UNGA, Mathur said, “such uncalled-for provocation is particularly regrettable and certainly misplaced at a time when after two days of intense discussions, we have all agreed that the path of peace can be the only path forward to resolve conflict and discord.”
All UN members there, according to Mathur, agreed that the only way to end strife and dissension is via peace after two days of rigorous discussions. He called Pakistan’s unwarranted provocation regretful.
During its 2021–2022 year term as a member of the UN Security Council, India emphasised the listing of terrorists with ties to Pakistan, and five names—including Makki—were submitted for designation under 1267 in 2022.
Abdul Rehman Makki, the senior leader of the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was named a “global terrorist” in January.
During its 2021–22 term as a member of the UNSC, India gave the designation of terrorists with ties to Pakistan top priority. In 2022, five names—including Makki—were proposed for designation under 1267. Except for China, all 14 council members initially approved of their listing.
According to the US State Department, Makki was found guilty of financing terrorism by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court in 2020 and given a prison term.
