“Pakistan provides safe havens to terrorists and does so with impunity”, India at UNGA

India exercised its ‘Right of Reply’ against Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, advising Islamabad to consider its track record as a state that provides safe havens for terrorists.  “Pakistan has only to look at itself and its track record as a State that harbours and provides safe havens to terrorists and does so with impunity.” Indian Counsellor Pratik Mathur said at the United Nations General Assembly’s Eleventh Emergency Special Session.

He also advised the Pakistani delegation to refer to India’s numerous Right of Reply exercises in the past. Mathur said, “I am taking the floor to say that India chooses this time not to respond to Pakistan’s mischievous provocations. Our advice to the delegate of Pakistan is to refer to the numerous RoRs that we have exercised in the past.”

Mathur called Pakistan’s uncalled-for provocation “regrettable,” and added that after two days of intense discussions, all members present at the UN have agreed that the path of peace is the only way to resolve conflict and discord.

The most wanted person in India Pakistan-based In January, India designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) deputy chief Abdul Rehman Makki as a “global terrorist.” India had made listing Pak-based terrorists a top priority of its UNSC tenure in 2021-22. India submitted five names for designation under 1267 in 2022: Abdul Rehman Makki (LeT), Abdul Rauf Asghar (JeM), Sajid Mir (LeT), Shahid Mahmood (LeT), and Talha Saeed (LeT).

Each of these five names was initially placed on technical hold by one member state (China), while the other 14 members of the Council agreed to their inclusion. According to the US State Department, in 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court convicted Makki on one count of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison.

Earlier this month, India’s Indus Commissioner issued a notice to Pakistan’s counterpart to notify a date for the start of interstate bilateral negotiations to correct an ongoing material breach of the Indus Water Treaty, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday. He also stated that India is not a party to the arbitration court process.

“We have issued rather our India’s Indus Commissioner issued a notice on January 25 for modification of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 to his Pakistani counterpart. This notice was issued with the intent to provide Pakistan an opportunity to enter into government-to-government negotiations, to rectify an ongoing material breach of the treaty. We have called upon Pakistan to notify a suitable date for the commencement of interstate bilateral negotiations under article XII (3) within 90 days,” Bagchi said in response to a question on India’s notice to Pakistan for amendments to the Indus water treaty.

“I am not aware of a response from Pakistan as of yet. I am not aware of any response or comment by the World Bank,” Bagchi said.

In response to a media question about New Delhi’s position on the arbitration court, he added that India is not participating or involved in the process in any way. According to sources, India issued a notice to Pakistan on January 25 to modify the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of September 1960 after Islamabad’s actions violated the treaty’s provisions.