Speaking at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Pakistan is a “serial practitioner of terrorism” and that the country “misrepresented facts” yesterday, referring to their prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif’s address.
He conditioned any normalisation of ties on the cessation of terrorism.
Directly referencing remarks made the previous day, without naming Pakistan, Jaishankar said that it raised arguments to “normalise terrorism” and affirmed India’s right to self-defence.
“Yesterday, a serial practitioner of terrorism misrepresented facts before this assembly. Arguments were invoked to normalize terrorism and claim immunity from its consequences. That will not stand. Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism will be exercised. Friendship and goodwill cannot coexist with terrorism, and understandings premised on that will naturally be called into question.
It is for the perpetrator of terrorism to mend its ways”, Jaishankar said.
