On Friday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through a recorded speech, due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Khan in his 25-minute speech focused on India, its treatment of minorities, and the Jammu Kashmir dispute.
“There will be no durable peace and stability in South Asia until the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is resolved on the basis of international legitimacy. Kashmir has been rightly described as a nuclear flashpoint,” Mr Khan said.
“The Security Council must prevent a disaster conflict and secure the implementation of its own resolutions, as it did in the case of East Timor,” he said in reference to the UN Security Council Resolutions on Kashmir.
Mr Khan also spoke about the threat of a demographic change in Kashmir by criticizing India’s abrogation of Article 370 and the number of troops stationed in the region.
Imran Khan stated that India intends to change the demography of Kashmir in order to “affect the outcome of a plebiscite envisaged in the U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
While addressing the use of pellet guns and internet clap downs in Kashmir, Mr Khan said, “The international community must investigate these grave violations and prosecute the Indian civil and military personnel involved in state terrorism and serious crimes against humanity.”
“I want to make it clear that any attempt by the fascist, totalitarian, RSS led Indian Government to aggress against Pakistan will be met by a nation that will fight for its freedom to the end,” Mr Khan added.
India alleges that Pakistan arms and trains militants in Kashmir. Pakistan on the other hand denies the allegations and states that it offers only diplomatic and moral support to the militants.
Along with taking about Pakistan’s progress as a nation, issues faced by Muslims around the world, Palestine, Afganistan, Mr Khan also spoke about ‘Islamophobia’ in India.
“The one country in the world today where, I am sad to say, the state sponsors Islamophobia, is India. The reason behind this is RSS ideology that unfortunately rules India today,” Khan said.
“They believe that India is exclusive to Hindus and others are not equal citizens.”
Meanwhile, India’s UN Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti said Imran Khan’s speech was “another litany of vicious falsehood” and stated that India would respond to the allegations by using the ‘Right of Reply’.
Moreover, as Mr Khan’s speech started in the chamber of the UNGA, Indian diplomat Mijito Vinito walked out of the General Assembly.