Congress accuses Sharif of glorifying terrorists at UNGA

New Delhi, Sep 22: Accusing Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of "gloryfying terrorists" in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, the Congress on Thursday said it has now become clear where "Pakistan's sympathies and support lie".

"In glorifying a terrorist like Burhan Wani, Sharif only reiterated where his and his country's sympathies and support lie," Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement.

"The international community must now understand fully that it is not only terrorists in Kashmir that Pakistan supports but its state policy is to provide an umbrella support and sustenance to all those who wreak havoc across the world, including in France, Bangladesh, the US, Britain and Belgium," Surjewala alleged.

The Congress leader's remarks came after Sharif in his speech at UNGA on Wednesday termed Hizbul militant Burhan Wani, whose killing on July 8 sparked off the current unrest in the Kashmir valley, as a "young leader" and the symbol of the Kashmiri unrest.

"In what has now become habitual, Sharif again invoked Kashmir at a multilateral forum, despite Pakistan being a signatory to the Shimla Accord," Surjewala said.

Slamming Sharif, the Congress leader said: "In citing 'intifada' in Kashmir, he looks like that emperor who plays flute (sic) while his entire country, right from Khyber to Balochistan to Sindh, is up in a violent intifada against his nation state."

At UNGA, raking up the Kashmir issue, Sharif called for a plebiscite and an independent inquiry into alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.

Hitting out at Pakistan's Prime Minister, Surjewala said: "In his jarring and impudent address to UNGA yesterday (Wednesday), Sharif repeated the same shrill and clichéd statements to belie Pakistan's diabolical support to terrorism."

Dubbing Sharif's speech as "glorification of terrorism", the Congress leader said: "Conspiratorial omission to Uri attack in his speech is a public admission of guilt by Pakistan, of its direct involvement in this act of cowardice."

"There was nothing new in his address, except glorification of terrorists and extremism which Pakistan has adopted as 'state policy'," Surjewala added.

"After taking his brief from his real handlers i.e. the military establishment and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) in Rawalpindi, all that the Pakistan Prime Minister came up with at the UNGA was a confirmation that his country is indeed a 'renegade state' that has emerged as the 'central processing unit' (CPU) of global terror," Surjewala observed.

The Congress leader also accused Sharif of "characteristically misleading posturing".

"Is it not a fact that the masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai Attack, Udhampur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Pampore and Uri attacks operate from Pakistani soil with complete impunity," he questioned.

"Is it not a fact that hundreds of dreaded international terrorists of the ilk of Maulana Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim are operating under the tutelage of rogue agencies like ISI of Pakistan," the Congress leader wondered.

In a strong message to Pakistan's Prime Minister, the Congress leader said: "We would like to categorically tell Sharif, that talks are no favour to India. Pakistan's unending belligerence has denied opportunities to our countries to establish any kind of cordial peace."

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consult all political parties in taking a concrete and tangible step against Pakistan.

Surjewala also requested External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to give a "strong and a befitting reply to this address and to build a strong and factual case for India in front of the International community, when she addresses the UNGA on Monday".

Congress leader also took a dig at Sushma Swaraj for not being present in nearly all the initial meetings held to assess the situation and review security chaired either by Prime Minister or other Ministers after the terror attack on the Uri military camp in Kashmir on Sunday, in which 18 soldiers were martyred.

IANS