Hitting out at the 'regressive' nations, PM Modi said, countries using terrorism as a political tool need to understand that terrorism is an equally big threat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Pakistan and China, without naming India's neighbours, for harbouring terrorists and looking to gain political mileage from the Afghanistan crisis. Speaking at the 76th UNGA and hitting out at 'regressive thinking', PM Modi said, countries using terrorism as a political tool need to understand that terrorism is an equally big threat for them.

"Countries with regressive thinking that are using terrorism as a political tool need to understand that terrorism is an equally big threat for them. It has to be ensured that Afghanistan isn't used to spread terrorism or launch terror attacks..." said PM Modi, in a warning to Pakistan.

The Prime Minister was addressing the United Nations General Assembly, in New York on Saturday. During his address, PM Modi stressed the need to ensure that Afghanistan's soil is not used to harbour terrorism and spread terrorist activities. He said the world must also ensure that no country uses the sensitive situation in Afghanistan as a tool to attain selfish goals.

Highlighting the growing threat of regressive thinking and extremism, PM Modi said the entire world should use science-based rationale and progressive thinking as a medium of development.

The Afghanistan crisis and the use of Afghan soil to shelter or train terrorists has been time and again, strongly condemned by India. Thanks to Pakistan's support, the Taliban has once again snatched power in vulnerable Afghanistan putting millions of civilians at risk.

'We must use ocean resources, not abuse them': PM Modi

In a direct reference to China's expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region as well as the South China sea, PM Modi said that countries must collectively use the ocean resources and not abuse them.

"Our oceans are also our shared heritage. That is why we have to keep in mind that we use our ocean resources, not abuse them. Our seas are a lifeline to international trading. We need to protect them from expansion and exclusion. World communities must unitedly raise their voice to strengthen rule-based world order," said PM Modi.

China's growing military presence in the resource-rich region of the Indo-Pacific has posed a challenge to the neighbouring Asian countries. China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, although Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea and also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.