India tears into Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's UN speech. What did he say? ‘Hindutva-driven extremism…’
Petal Gahlot lashed out at the Pakistan PM for his "victory" claim in the military conflict with India, and claims of turning jets into “scrap and dust”.
Hours after Shehbaz Sharif presented a twisted account of the recent India-Pak conflict in his UN address, India clapped back strongly, rubbishing his "absurd theatrics" and accusing Islamabad of glorifying terrorism.
First secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Petal Gahlot, lashed out at the Pakistan PM for his "victory" claim in the conflict with India, and claims of turning jets into “scrap and dust”.
"If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangars look like victory, as the prime minister claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it," Gahlot said, delivering a sharp rebuttal of Shehbaz Sharif's claims.
Not only did he distort facts related to the conflict, but also warned that "India's Hindutva extremism" posed a global threat.
Hours after his explosive claim, Petal Gahlot reminded Pakistan of sheltering Osama bin Laden for decades, and accused the country of “deploying and exporting terrorism”.
Here's everything Shehbaz Sharif said that triggered India's rebuke:
A twisted account of Op Sindoor
A fortnight after 26 civilians were killed in the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, India launched Operation Sindoor, a military action targeting terrorists and terror infra in Pakistan and Pak-occupied Kashmir. While India has always clarified that no civilians were harmed in the operation, Shehbaz Sharif presented a different account, claiming India's attack on "civilians" prompted Pak forces to intervene.
"In May this year, my country confronted unprovoked aggression from our eastern front. The enemy came shrouded in arrogance, and we sent them back in humiliation. India sought to extract political gains from a human tragedy by spurning my sincere offer of an independent investigation into the Pahalgam incident. Instead, it attacked our cities and targeted our innocent civilians. When our territorial integrity and national security were violated, our response was in accordance with the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations charter," Shehbaz Sharif said.
'Seven Indian jets shot down'
In another false claim, Shehbaz Sharif claimed that the Pakistani forces downed seven Indian jets, sending them to "scrap and dust". "Our valiant armed forces mounted an operation of stunning professionalism, repulsing the enemy's attack. Our falcons took flight and etched thier answer across the skies, resulting in seven of the Indian jets turning to scrap and dust," he said.
However, the Indian Air Force had confirmed long back that it shot down five Pakistani fighter jets during Operation Sindoor. Apart from the five jets, one large Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) or early warning aircraft was also destroyed, Air chief marshal AP Singh announced last month.
On abeyance of Indus Water Treaty
Shehbaz Sharif also spoke about the abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty, a move from India that came a day after the Pahalgam terror attack in April. The Pakistani PM termed the move "an act of war", saying it defied provisions of the treaty.
“India’s unilateral and illegal attempt to hold the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance defies the provisions of the treaty itself as well as the norms of International law. Pakistan has made it abundantly clear that we will defend the inseparable right of our people on these waters. To us, any violation of the treaty represents an act of war,” Shehbaz Sharif said.
On Kashmir, 'Hindutva-driven extremism'
A viral video of Shehbaz Sharif from the UN speech also showed him advocate against hate speech against any person of any religion. In the same context, he also referred to what he called "India's Hindutva-driven extremism", and said: "There must be no space for hate speech...or violence against any person or any religion. Hate-driven ideology such as India's Hindutva-driven extremism pose a danger to the entire world."
He also referenced the issue of Kashmir, sending out a message to people from there: "I wish to assure Kashmiri people that I stand with them, Pakistan stands with them, and one day soon India's tyranny in Kashmir will come to a halt."
India has long noted Pakistan's role in harbouring terrorism. Even when the diplomat representing India at the UN slammed Shehbaz Sharif's remarks, she reminded him of how Pakistan sheltered Osama Bin Laden, and continues to harbour terrorism.
“Let us recall that it sheltered Osama bin Laden for a decade, even while pretending to partner in the war against terrorism. Its ministers have just recently acknowledged that they have been operating terrorist camps for decades,” she said.
Responding to Shehbaz Sharif’s call for a “composite, comprehensive, and result-oriented” dialogue with India, Petal Gahlot stated that Pakistan must shut down all terrorist camps and extradite terrorists wanted by India.
