New York, Sep 29: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday launched a blistering attack on Pakistan for justifying India's concentrated efforts to establish peace in South-Asian region and accused India's neighbour country for allowing terrorism to breed.
Accusing Pakistan of sabotaging process of peace talks, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at her United Nations address said, ""Talks with Pakistan have begun many times. If they stopped, it was only because of their behavior."
We are accused of sabotaging peace talks. This is a complete lie. We believe that talks are only rational means to resolve the most complex of disputes, said Sushma Swaraj at United Nations General Assembly.
Raking up terror attack that shook United States in 2001, Swaraj blamed Pakistan for spreading terrorism and ruining expectations of peace.
"The 9/11 incident in New York and 26/11 incident in Mumbai ruined the expectations of peace. India has been a victim of this and the challenge of terrorism in India is coming from none other than our neighbouring nation," the foreign affairs minister said.
Here are the highlights of Sushma Swaraj speech at UNGA
Sushma Swaraj concludes UNGA address.
She talks about Jan Dhan Yojana, India's largest pro-poor welfare scheme. Over 5 million homes for poor have already been constructed under a new housing scheme, she says. Swaraj also highlights other schemes such as Mudra Yojana and Ujjawala scheme. Under the Ujjwala scheme, 50 million free gas connections have been given so far, she says.
World’s biggest healthcare scheme, 'Ayushman Bharat' has been launched in India by PM Modi on Sept 23. Under this scheme, 50 crore people will be given Rs. 5 lakhs per year for medical treatment: Sushma Swaraj
I think we must start making the changes needed in the security counsel. One subject debated most is multilateralism. The challenges is causing tension to a lot of countries. India believes that the whole world is one family. So we believe the UN should run on the principles of a family. A family runs on love and compassion. In UN we cannot say this is me mine or I, it is us we or ours. We should keep every country’s goals in mind, says Sushma Swaraj
Who can be a greater transgressor of human rights than a terrorist? Those who take innocent human lives in pursuit of war by other means are defenders of inhuman behavior, not of human rights. Pakistan glorifies killers; it refuses to see the blood of innocents: Sushma Swaraj at UNGA
The United Nations must accept that it needs fundamental reform. Reform cannot be cosmetic. We need change the institution’s head and heart to make both compatible to contemporary reality. Reform must begin today; tomorrow could be too late: Sushma Swaraj
In 1996, India proposed a draft document on CCIT at the United Nations. Till today, that draft has remained a draft, because we cannot agree on a common language. On the one hand, we want to fight terrorism; on the other, we cannot define it: Sushma Swaraj
Last year, Pakistan’s representative, using right to reply, displayed some photographs as “proof” of “human rights violations” by India. The photographs turned out to be from another country. Similar false accusations have become part of its standard rhetoric.
Our neighbour’s expertise is not restricted to spawning grounds for terrorism; it is also an expert in trying to mask malevolence with verbal duplicity, says Sushma Swaraj
America's good friend Pakistan was hiding 9/11 mastermind Osama. Mastermind of 26/11 is still roaming free in Pakistan. World has seen the true face of Pakistan: Sushma Swaraj
We are accused of sabotaging the process of talks. This is a complete lie. We believe that talks are only rational means to resolve the most complex of disputes. Talks with Pakistan have begun many times. If they stopped, it was only because of their behavior.
In our case, terrorism is bred not in some faraway land, but across our border. Our neighbour's expertise is not restricted to spawning grounds for terrorism; it is also an expert in trying to mask malevolence with verbal duplicity.
The biggest challenge of our era comes from the existential threats of climate change and terrorism: Sushma Swaraj at UNGA
Sushma Swaraj begins her speech at the UNGA congratulating Ma Fernanda Espinosa on assuming the position as the President of the 73rd Session of the UNGA, EAM said that the first woman to occupy this eminent chair was an Indian Smt. Vijayalakshmi Pandit, in 1953.