United Nations, Sept 26: In the first major clash in the current session of the United Nations General Assembly, India told Islamabad that Pakistan's combat against international terrorism is based on one percent intentions and 99 per pretensions. "This ratio needs to be reversed if Pakistan expects us to take its commitment to end cross-border terrorism against India seriously," India's political counselor Harsh Vardhan Shringla asserted.
Stung by some plain speaking by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his address to the general assembly about Pakistan sponsoring terrorism, Islamabad's United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram described India as "mother of terrorism" and accused it of sponsoring terrorism against "each one of its neighbours".
India had sponsored terrorism in Sri Lanka and its intelligence agencies directed groups of Kashmiris to "perpetrate" terrorist actions in "Indian occupied Kashmir as a means of intimidating Kashmirs," he alleged while exercising the right of reply at the end of Thursday. In a highly restrained reply, Shringla took objection to Akram using the assembly to indulge in abuse rather than offering views for which forum is meant for.
Speaking in a measured tone, Shringla refused to be drawn in to Pakistan's "diplomacy of abuse" but asserted that Islamabad continues to be the "epicenter of terrorism" despite its protestations which, he said, "come easily to a country whose foreign policy has traditionally relied on camouflage and double-speak". He also questioned Pakistan commitment to "enlightened moderation" suggested by President Musharraf during his address to the general assembly and said Islamabad cannot hope to pursue the goal without demonstrating some sign of "moderate enlightenment" while dealing with serious issue of peace and stability.
Pakistan, Shringal told the assembly, has been making "desperate efforts to create a political fiction about his anti-terrorists credentials".
"This," he said, "is not surprising for a country "whose history and policies have been rooted in political fiction." Bureau Report