New York, Dec 15: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday took a sharp dig at Pakistan, apart from China, in his address at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as he spoke on multilateralism and the global challenges in the current times.

 

Jaishankar slammed Pakistan for hosting terrorist Osama Bin Laden, and the 2001 attack on Parliament also found a mention in his address. His comments followed remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto on Kashmir.

"We are focused today on the urgency of reforming multilateralism. We will naturally have our views. There is an ongoing convergence at least that this can’t be delayed further. The effectiveness of the United Nations depends on its capacity in facing key challenges of our times - be it pandemic, climate change, conflicts or terrorism,” Jaishankar said in his address.

 

 

“While we search for the best solutions, what are those that we must never accept include the normalisation of such threats. The question of justifying what the world regards as unacceptable should not even arise. It certainly applies to states’ sponsorship of cross- border terrorism. Nor can hosting Osama Bin Laden and attacking a neighbouring Parliament can serve as credentials for sermonizing before this council,” the minister further added.

 

Earlier, Bilawal Bhutto termed Kashmir as an "unfinished agenda". "Not expansion in the elitist club of permanent member, more authoritarian vote power. Of course Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of UNSC and a test of multilateralism," he said.

 

 

Amidst calls for India's inclusion in Security Council Bhutto also said "Adding new permanent members to UNSC will numerically reduce the opportunities for the vast majority of the UN member states to be present on the Security Council. We must adhere to sovereign equality of all, not superiority of some."