India will soar high if Pakistan stoops low by raising Kashmir issue at UNGA: Syed Akbaruddin

India will soar high if Pakistan stoops low by raking up the Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session, said India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin.

He warned that Islamabad which mainstreamed terrorism in the past may mainstream hate speech now.

“We explained to you what is our approach and what is our orientation and how we are working very differently from our previous experiences. But there may be somebody who is wanting to bring an issue which they have raised before. Your question further is that what if they become more shrill, what if they raise it in a much more sharper manner,” Akbaruddin said at a press conference here on Thursday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan repeatedly vowed that he will “forcefully” raise the Kashmir issue before the international community during his address to the UNGA. The UNGA session will take place on September 27.

Responding to a query in this regard, Akbaruddin said, “What you’re telling me is that it will be more of the same, much more of the same from the side of one country. If that is so, what is our response? So let me put it this way. That it is for every country to determine its trajectory of how it wants to approach global platforms. There may be some who stoop low. Our response to them is we soar high. They may stoop low, we soar high,” he said.

‘Poinson pens don’t work for too long’

Akbaruddin, who laid out the focus and priorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrives for the 74th UN General Assembly session, said a plethora of plurilateral and bilateral engagements and meetings next week highlight the examples of how India will soar higher.

“What they want to do is their call. We’ve seen them mainstream terrorism in the past. And what you’re now telling me is they may want to mainstream hate speech. It’s their call, if they want to do that. Poison pens don’t work for too long,” he said, making a reference to Pakistan.

“We are confident that we will soar. We have given you examples of how we will not stoop. We will soar when they stoop low,” he said.

Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5. Pakistan has downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled the Indian High Commissioner.

Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue but India has asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 was its “internal matter”. New Delhi has also asked Islamabad to accept the reality and stop its anti-India rhetoric.

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