EAM Sushma Swaraj hits out at Pakistan for spreading terrorism in India

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday highlighted how India has initiated unprecedented economic and social transformations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Addressing the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York she said that India has implemented the world’s largest financial inclusion, health insurance and housing schemes — which will benefit millions — as well as entrepreneurship and skill development programmes.

She said these initiatives have at their core the welfare of women, she stressed, adding that, whereas some developed nations with big economies only offer six weeks of paid leave, women will get twenty‑six weeks under a new national scheme.

Sushma Swaraj said that underdeveloped and developing nations are the worst victims of climate change, she continued, underscoring that “those who have exploited nature for their immediate needs cannot abdicate their responsibilities”. She added developed nations must lift the deprived with financial and technical resources.

She said that terrorism, which represents the second existential threat to humanity, is bred across India’s border to the west, she said, adding: terrorism emanating from the Pakistani soil and climate change.

Slamming Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj said that India’s neighbour Pakistan is continiously involved in cross-border terror.

She said that the fact that Osama bin Laden, the architect of the 11 September 2001 attacks, was given safe haven in Pakistan is evidence of this.

Challenging the idea that India is sabotaging peace talks, she said that such talks had begun many times and that if they stopped, it was only because of Pakistan’s behaviour.

She said India accepted Pakistan’s proposal of a meeting between the two countries’ Foreign Ministers in New York.

But, soon after, terrorists killed three of her country’s jawans , she recalled, questioning the idea that this could indicate a desire for dialogue.

Further, Pakistan accuses India of violating human rights. Yet, “those who take innocent lives in pursuit of war by other means are defenders of inhuman behaviour, not of human rights”, she said.

She added She said that mastermind of 26/11 attack, Hafiz Sayeed is roaming freely in the Pakistan.

She reaffirmed the need to bring terrorists to accountability through international law and, underscoring that India proposed a draft document on the comprehensive convention on international terrorism at the United Nations in 1996, she called on the General Assembly to come to an agreement on this accord.