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.