Pakistan leaders masters of ‘forgetting’ facts: Sushma Swaraj’s top quotes from UNGA address

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addresses the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, at U.N. headquarters. (Source: AP)

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday addressed the 72nd session of United Nations General Assembly in New York, a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had claimed that India was responsible for major human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. EAM Swaraj took the dias at the UN General Assembly to reiterate India’s longstanding commitment to peace in the region and took a jibe at Pakistan’s two face approach on terrorism, while urging the international community to take a more unified stance against terrorism, saying “Evil is evil. Let us accept that terrorism is am existentialist danger to humankind. There is absolutely no justification for barbaric violence.”

Here are the top quotes from Sushma Swaraj’s address at the United Nation’s General Assembly:

* “India has displayed courage and leadership to take tough decisions which have launched interlinked process of sustainable development.”

* “Demonetisation was a courageous decision to challenge one of the by-products of corruption, the black money that disappeared from circulation. Today, India has passed the Goods and Services Tax legislation, through which there is one-tax across the country, without the untidy and punishing system of multiple taxes under differing categories in different parts of the country.”

* “Prime Minister Abbasi has recalled old resolution that have been long overtaken by events. But his memory has conveniently failed him where it matter. He has forgotten that under Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration, India and Pakistan resolved that they would settle all outstanding issues bilaterally. the reality is that Pakistan’s politicians remember everything, manipulating memory into a convenience. They are master of forgetting facts that destroy their version.”

*”We are completely engaged in fighting poverty; alas, our neighbor Pakistan seems only engaged in fighting us. On Thursday, from this dais, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khahan Abbasi wasted rather too mush time of his speech in making accusations against us. He accused India of State-sponsored terrorism, and of violating human rights. Those listening had only one observation: look who’s taking! A country that has been world greatest exporter of havoc, death and inhumanity become a champion of hypocrisy and preaching about humanity from this podium”

*“Pakistan’s current Prime Minister spoke of a comprehensive dialogue between the two countries. I would like to remind him that on 9 December 2015, when I was in Islamabad for the Hear of Asia conference, a decision was made by his leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, then still the Prime Minister, that dialogue between us should be renewed and named it a comprehensive bilateral dialogue. The word Bilateral was used consciously to remove any confusion or doubt about the fact that the proposed talks would be between our two nations and only between our two nations, without any third-party present.”

* “PM Narendra Modi has offered the hand of peace and friendship. Pakistan’s Prime Minister must answer why his nation spurned this offer.”

* “I would like today to tell Pakistan’s politicians just this much, that perhaps the wisest thing they could do is to look within. India and Pakistan became free within hours of each other. Why is it that today India is a recognised IT superpower in the world, and Pakistan is recognised only as the pre-eminent export factory for terror?”

*“Evil is evil. Let us accept that terrorism is am existentialist danger to humankind. There is absolutely no justification for barbaric violence. Let is display our new commitment by reaching agreement on the comprehensive convention on International terrorism this year itself.”

*”The Jan dhan plan must surely be the world’s largest financial inclusion pan. At least 300 million who have never crossed the door of a bank today have bank accounts: this is equivalent to the population of United States of America… While some remain to be included, the target is set- every Indian family will have a bank account.”

* “The mudra Yojana has enabled the government to fund the unfunded. Those who had never dreamt that bank credits was within their options, today, thought Mudra, are getting soft loans with any collateral to begin micro businesses. I am particularly delighted to inform you that 70 per cent of these loans have gone to women.”

* “Unemployment spreads despair. Through skill India, Start-up India and Stand-Up India, poor and middle class youth are being trained to match their honed talent with bank credits and become self-employed or small-scale entrepreneurs.”

* “Ujjwala is a signature scheme of our government. Free gas cylinder are being provided to the poor so the women do not have to suffer the dangerous consequences of wood-fire kitchens. Uniquely, emancipation is at the creative core of this programme.”

*“Our save the girl, educate the girl campaign is reducing gender inequality. Our clean India programme is generating what can only be described as a revolutionary change in social attitudes and habits.”

* “India’s culture and thought have been shaped by history  and philosophy that believes in peace as humankind’s only rational and practical objective.”