India responds to Pak PM's speech at UNGA, says 'Imran Khan's threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as brinkmanship'. Vidisha Maitra, was deployed to counter Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s rant at the UN General Assembly, when India exercised its “right of reply”. Maitra asked: “Can Pakistan PM confirm that it is home to 130 UN designated terrorists? And would PM Imran Khan deny...that he was an open defender of Osama bin Laden?”

NEW DELHI: Another of India’s bright young diplomats, Vidisha Maitra, was deployed to counter Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s rant at the UN General Assembly, when India exercised its “right of reply” on Friday. Vidisha, an IFS officer from the 2009 batch who recently joined the UN mission, said “PM Khan’s threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as brinkmanship, not statesmanship.”

She continued, “Rarely has the General Assembly witnessed such misuse, rather abuse, of an opportunity to reflect. Words matter in diplomacy. Invocation of phrases such as “pogrom”, “bloodbath”, “racial superiority”, “pick up the gun” and “fight to the end” reflect a medieval mindset and not a 21st century vision.” Maitra conquered social media on Saturday with her reference to Imran as “Imran Khan Niazi”, an instant reference to Lt Gen A A K Niazi who had surrendered to Indian Army in Dhaka in 1971.

Maitra asked: “Can Pakistan PM confirm that it is home to 130 UN designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed by the UN? Will Pakistan deny that FATF has put the country on notice for its violations of more than 20 of the 27 key parameters? And would PM Imran Khan deny...that he was an open defender of Osama bin Laden?”

From Enam Gambhir, who delivered a statesmanlike performance in 2017 to Vimarsh Aryan, the young Kashmiri diplomat who countered Pakistani allegations at the UNHRC earlier this month to Maitra, MEA has successfully showcased India’s diversity and the mettle of its young diplomats.

In 2017, Enam, who read out India’s right of reply after then Pak PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi accused India of numerous crimes, first described the neighbouring country as “Terroristan”. “In its short history, Pakistan has become a geography synonymous with terror. Pakistan is now Terroristan.”

Vimarsh Aryan led the Indian charge against Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s allegations at the UNHRC earlier this month, saying, “This is an ill-disguised effort to advance its territorial ambitions. We are not surprised at Pakistan’s hysterical statements with false, fabricated narratives aimed to politicise and polarise this forum.”

On Saturday Maitra hit out: “This is a country that has shrunk the size of its minority community from 23% in 1947 to 3% today and has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Balochis to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions”.