Sharif gives no answer to UN questions on Hafiz Saeed
Indian media reported journalists asked the prime minister how long Pakistan would shelter terrorist groups during the UN General Assembly.
At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, journalists confronted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with questions about Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Pakistan's alleged sheltering of militant groups, several Indian news outlets reported on Thursday. The prime minister did not answer and moved on, according to the reports.
Bhaskar English reported that journalists asked how long Pakistan would continue to shelter terrorists, referring to Saeed, who is designated a terrorist by the United Nations, India and the United States. Hindustan Times said Sharif was asked two questions and gave no answer, publishing a video of the exchange. FM Bharat quoted one of the questions as: "When will you stop harbouring terrorists?"
The reports said the exchange took place after or around Sharif's appearance at the UN General Assembly, where world leaders are meeting for their annual session. There was no immediate statement from the Prime Minister's Office or Pakistan's mission to the UN on the reports.
In a separate appearance at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, India used its statement to attack Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir. According to The Week, India said, "Terror and theatrics won't help repay loans," and told Pakistan to stop coveting the territory of others. The Indian statement came amid longstanding tensions between the two countries over Kashmir and cross-border terrorism allegations.
Pakistan has consistently rejected such allegations and says it has taken action against banned groups. However, Indian media reports on Thursday focused on the video of Sharif walking away from journalists at the UN.
Hafiz Saeed is the founder of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba, which India blames for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He is currently serving a prison sentence in Pakistan after conviction on terror financing charges, but India has long demanded more action.
The reports circulated on social media and were picked up by multiple Indian outlets. Skardu Times could not independently verify the video or the exact questions from the original sources.
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