On February 23, India used it’s ‘Right of Reply’ at UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) against Pakistan and advised Islamabad to look at its track record as a state that provides safe havens to terrorists.
“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”, Indian Counsellor Pratik Mathur said at the UNGA’s Eleventh Emergency Extraordinary Session. He also advised the Pakistani delegation to refer to the numerous Right of Replies that India has exercised in the past.
Pratik Mathur said, “I am taking the floor to say that India chooses this time not to respond to Pakistan’s mischievous provocations. Our advice to the delegate of Pakistan is to refer to the numerous RoRs that we have exercised in the past.”
Mathur referred to Pakistan’s uncalled-for provocation as “regrettable,” and he added that during two days of intense discussions, all the members present in the UN have agreed that the path of peace can be the only path to resolve conflict and discord.
In January, Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy chief of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was listed as a “global terrorist.”
During its 2021–22 UNSC term, India made listings of Pak-based terrorists a top priority. A total of five names — Abdul Rehman Makki (LeT), Abdul Rauf Asghar (JeM), Sajid Mir (LeT), Shahid Mahmood (LeT), and Talha Saeed (LeT) — were submitted by India for designation under 1267 in 2022.
Each of these five names was initially placed on technical hold by one member state (China) while all other 14 members of the Council agreed to their listing.
According to the US State Department, in 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court convicted Makki on one count of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison.
Earlier this month, India’s Indus Commissioner notified Pakistani counterpart to notify a date for the commencement of interstate bilateral negotiations to rectify an ongoing material breach of the Indus Water treaty, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on February 23.
He further said that India is not involved in the arbitration court process.
In answer to a query regarding India’s notice to Pakistan for amendments to the Indus water treaty, Bagchi stated.”We have issued rather our India’s Indus Commissioner issued a notice on January 25 for modification of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 to his Pakistani counterpart. This notice was issued with the intent to provide Pakistan an opportunity to enter into government-to-government negotiations, to rectify an ongoing material breach of the treaty. We have called upon Pakistan to notify a suitable date for the commencement of interstate bilateral negotiations under article XII (3) within 90 days”.
Bagchi said, “I am not aware of a response from Pakistan as of yet. I am not aware of any response or comment by the World Bank”.He added by saying that India is not participating or involved in the process in any way in response to a media query on New Delhi’s position on the arbitration court.
On January 25, India issued notice to Pakistan for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad’s actions adversely impinged the provisions of the treaty, according to sources.
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