Sneha Dubey

Mr. President: Dear colleagues, Excellencies, before we conclude this session of the generalis- the general debate, I would like to tell you that one delegation has requested to exercise the right of reply. I would like to remind members that statements made in exercise of the right of reply are limited to ten minutes for the first intervention and five minutes for the second intervention, and that delegations must take the floor from their seats.

I now give the floor to the representative of India. Sneha Dubey: Mr. President, we exercise our right of reply to one more attempt by the leader of Pakistan to tarnish the image of this August forum by bringing in matters internal to my country and going so far as to spew falsehoods on the world stage.

While such statements deserve our collective contempt and sympathy for the mindset of the person who utters falsehood repeatedly, I am taking the floor to set the record straight.

Regrettably, this is not the first time the leader of Pakistan has misused platforms provided by the UN to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country and seeking, in vain, to divert the world's attention from the sad state of his country where terrorists enjoy free pass while the lives of ordinary people, especially those belonging to the minority communities, are turned upside down.

Mr. President, member states are aware that Pakistan has an established history and policy of harboring, aiding, and actively supporting terrorists. This is a country which has been globally recognized as one openly supporting, training, financing, and arming terrorists as a matter of state policy. It holds the ignoble record of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council.

Mr. President, we marked the solemn occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the nine eleven terror attacks just a few days back. The world has not forgotten that the mastermind behind that dastardly event, Osama bin Laden, got shelter in Pakistan. Pakistan leadership continues to glorify him as a martyr.

Regrettably, even today, we heard the leader of Pakistan trying to justify acts of terror. Such defense of terrorism is unacceptable in the modern world. We keep hearing that Pakistan is a victim of terrorism.

This is the country which is an arsonist disguising itself as a firefighter. Pakistan nurtures terrorists in their backyard in the hope that they will only harm their neighbors. Our region, in fact, the entire world, has suffered because of their policies.

On the other hand, they are trying to cover up sectarian violence in their country as acts of terror. Mr. President, this is also the country that still holds the despicable record in our region of having executed a religious and cultural genocide against the people of what is now Bangladesh. As we mark the fiftieth anniversary this year of that horrid event in history, there is not even an acknowledgement, much less accountability.

Today, the minorities of Pakistan, the Sikhs, the Hindus, the Christians, live in constant fear and state-sponsored suppression of their rights. This is a regime where antisemitism is normalized by its leadership and even justified. Dissenting voices are muzzled daily and enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are well documented.

Mr. President, unlike Pakistan, India is a pluralistic democracy with a substantial population of minorities who have gone on to hold highest offices in the country, including as president, prime minister, chief justices, and chiefs of army staff. India is also a country with a free media and an independent judiciary that keeps a watch and protects our constitution.

Pluralism is a concept which is very difficult to understand for Pakistan, which constitutionally prohibits its minorities from aspiring for high offices of the state. The least they could do is introspect before exposing themselves to ridicule on the world stage. Finally, Mr. President, let me reiterate here that the entire union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.

This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation. Mr. President, allow me to be categorical about India's position.

We desire normal relations with all our neighbors, including Pakistan. However, it is for Pakistan to work sincerely towards creating a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible verifiable, and irreversible actions to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner. I thank you Mr. President.

Mr. President, every year, this assembly has rejected the imposition of laws and regulations with extraterritorial impact and all other forms of coercive economic measures that hurt the progress and prosperity of the people the world over. Last year, a hundred and eighty-seven member states voted in favor of Resolution seventy-eight stroke seven, expressing their strong support to lifting of the embargo.

The General Assembly has also called upon all states to refrain from promulgating and applying, and to repeal and invalidate laws and measures that have extraterritorial effects affecting the sovereignty of other states, in conformity with their obligations under the UN Charter and international law. There is no doubt that the continued existence of this embargo, in contravention of the overwhelming opinion as expressed by this assembly, undermines multilateralism and the credibility of the United Nations itself.

Mr. President, as the world's largest democracy with abiding faith in multilateralism, India stands in solidarity with this assembly in its unambiguous rejection of domestic laws having extraterritorial impact. Such embargoes have the effect of impeding the full achievement of economic and social development by the population of the affected country, in particular, women and children.

They also hinder the full enjoyment of human rights, including the right to development, food, medical care, and social services, among other things. India has consistently opposed any unilateral measures by countries that impinge on the sovereignty of another country.

As in the twenty-thirty Agenda for Sustainable Development, the recently adopted Pact for the Future has also strongly urged states to refrain from promulgating and applying unilateral economic measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.

Mr. President, successive reports of the Secretary-General have established that the embargo, particularly through its extraterritorial effects, has adversely affected the Cuban people and the developmental efforts of the country, with particularly devastating effects owing to shortages of essential commodities. The continued embargo would severely impact Cuba's ability to implement the twenty-thirty Agenda in the six years that remain. Mr. President, people-to-people contact holds immense possibilities for fostering better understanding between nations.

There is no doubt that the people of Cuba can contribute much to the needs of the global community today. But to enable this, the international community needs to intensify its efforts to promote an environment free from sanctions and embargoes. India hopes that the embargo will be withdrawn at the earliest and supports the draft resolution moved by Cuba.

I thank you.