Imran Khan cries foul over Kashmir, says ‘human rights are being violated’

New York (USA) | Jagran News Desk: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday addressed the 74^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and cried foul over Kashmir saying that human rights are being violated.

He further said that India keeps accusing Pakistan of terrorism but claimed that there are militant groups in his country.  

“When I came to power, my priority was Pakistan would be a country which would try to bring peace. The Mujahideen groups, which were trained by Pakistan and funded by the US, were called terrorist groups by the Soviet. Come 9/11, Pakistan joined the war against terrorism. Now that we joined the US which occupied Afghanistan, these groups turned against us” said Khan in his address.

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“70,000 Pakistanis died in this war. When we came to power, we would dismantle what was left of these groups. I know India keeps accusing us that there are military groups but there are not. The United Nations officials came come and check themselves,” he added.

Speaking about the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Khan said that PM Modi in his election campaign told that he taught Pakistan a lesson which he claimed was a lie.

“When Pulwama happened, India immediately blamed us. We asked them for proof but they instead they sent their aircraft. PM Modi's election campaign was also based on a lie. During elections, PM Modi campaigned saying ‘I have taught Pakistan a lesson’ was a lie,” said Khan.

Talking about Kashmir and the Indian government's decision to scrap the provisions under Article 370, Imran Khan said that there will be a bloodbath when the curfew in Kashmir is lifted.

“Today also we hear about pellet guns being used by the Indian Army. But whatever happens in Kashmir after the curfew is lifted, there will be another terror attack like Pulwama and Pakistan will be blamed,” Khan said.

“If there's a bloodbath, Muslims will become radicals. You are forcing Muslims into radicalisation. They will pick up arms,” he added.

The Pakistan Prime Minister also spoke about the chances of conventional war with India and warned about the war could go nuclear.

“If the conventional war starts with a country which is four times Pakistan, what will we do? This is what I ask myself a lot of times. But I say this, we will fight but think what happens when two nuclear countries fight,” said Khan.

Imran Khan addressed the UNGA after PM Modi’s addressed. This was a rare incident when two leaders from rival nations will address the same platform, one after the other. 

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after New Delhi revoked Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories. Pakistan has tried to internationalise the issue but has failed so far.

India, however, has stressed that the decision to revoke Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir is an ‘internal matter’ and Pakistan has no ‘locus standi’ on it.