Narendra Modi is the ‘Butcher of Gujarat’, Pakistan minister says as he trades barbs with Indian counterpart
- India’s S Jaishankar called Pakistan the ‘epicentre of terrorism’, while Pakistan’s Bhutto Zardari accused India of conflating Muslims and terrorists
- The nuclear-armed rivals have strained political ties, especially over Kashmir, which was split between the two during Partition in 1947
India’s foreign minister accused Pakistan of being the “epicentre of terrorism” while his counterpart hit back that Narendra Modi was the “Butcher of Gujarat” in a war of words at the United Nations.
The nuclear-armed rivals have strained political ties, especially over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which was split between the two during Partition in 1947.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of harbouring militants who launch attacks on its soil, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left scores dead.
The latest exchange of taunts happened on the sidelines of an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York on Wednesday and Thursday.
Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be [a] good neighbour”, calling Pakistan the “epicentre of terrorism”.
“Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Pakistan, said that if you keep snakes in your backyard you can’t expect them to bite only your neighbours, eventually they will bite the people who keep them in the backyard.”