India shows 'true face' of Pakistan in United Nations General Assembly

A few days after Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi showed a picture of Palestinian victim and tried to pass it off as 'evidence' of atrocities on Kashmiris, India on Monday lambasted at Islamabad, saying that the image was presented to "push a completely false narrative."

Following is the statement in exercise of India's Right of Reply at 72nd Session of United Nations General Assembly, by Indian diplomat Paulomi Tripathi.

"I take the floor to respond to the statement made by the Permanent Representative of Pakistan in the exercise of right of reply, in the evening of Saturday, September 23," starts Tripathi.

She further stated that the permanent representative of Pakistan, Maleeha Lodhi in her statement, sought to divert attention from Pakistan's role as the hub of global terrorism.

"She did so by callously holding up a picture of an injured girl," Tripathi said

The Indian diplomat told the assembly that the photograph was of Rawya abu Jom'a, a girl from Palestine.

"The picture was taken on 22 July 2014 by an American photographer Heidi Levine. This photograph was published by New York Times on 24 March 2015 under the caption 'Conflict, Courage and Healing in Gaza'," said Tripathi.

She further said that the Permanent Representative of Pakistan misled this Assembly by displaying this picture to spread falsehoods about India, adding that, "A fake picture (was presented) to push a completely false narrative."

Tripathi also asserted that in view of this "cynical and misleading" attempt by Pakistan, India is constrained to show this Assembly, a photograph that reflects the real picture of pain inflicted by the nefarious designs of Pakistan on India.

Presenting a picture Tripathi said, "This is a real and not a fake picture of Lt. Umar Faiyaz. A young officer from the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir. Umar Faiyaz was kidnapped at a wedding celebration. He was brutally tortured and killed by Pakistan supported terrorists in May 2017."

She further stated that this is a true picture and portrays a harsh and tragic reality.

"A picture of terrorism emanating from across our borders that the people of India, especially in the state of Jammu and Kashmir have to struggle with, every day. This is the reality which the Permanent Representative of Pakistan sought to obfuscate," Tripathi told the assembly.

The Indian diplomat further said that the true face of Pakistan is not hidden from anyone.

Earlier, Maleeha Lodhi resorted to waving dramatic pictures of a girl with pellet injuries on her face and added, "this was the face of Indian democracy" while suggesting that Kashmiris had been injured by pellet guns.

However, upon closer inspection of the picture, Maleeha Lodhi's claim seemed to have boomeranged on her.

The picture used by Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN was reported by a number of media outlets as that of Rawia Abu Joma'a, a 17-year-old girl injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza city in 2014.

Rawia's picture was taken by award-winning photographer Heidi Levine.

Earlier, Swaraj had said India has risen despite being the principal destination of Pakistan's nefarious export of terrorism.

"India has risen despite being the principal destination of Pakistan's nefarious export of terrorism. There have been many governments under many parties during 70 years of Indian freedom, for we have been a sustained democracy. Every government has done its bit for India's development. We have marched ahead consistently without pause, in education, health and across the range of human welfare. We established scientific and technical institutions which are the pride of the world," Swaraj said while addressing the 72nd UNGA session in New York.

She also questioned as to what has Pakistan offered to the world and to its own people apart from terrorism.

In a stinging response to Pakistan at the UNGA, she said that India is completely engaged in fighting poverty, whereas Islamabad seems engaged in fighting New Delhi.

-ANI