New Delhi:
India strongly hit back at Pakistan using the 'Right to Reply' at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in response to Prime Minister Imran Khan's maiden speech on Friday. First Secretary Vidisha Maitra, a 2008-IFS, India’s newest diplomat at the United Nations, soon became a talking point as she tore into each and every claim of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan eloquently, logically and unhesitatingly. Imran Khan had slammed India for the Kashmir situation and warned of ‘bloodbath’ in Kashmir.
Vidisha Maitra said that PM Imran Khan's threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as brinksmanship not statesmanship.
She also asked Pakistan not to lecture India on human rights. She said that Pakistan, who has shrunk the size of its minority population and has subjected them to atrocious blasphemy laws, has no right to talk about protecting minority rights.
Who is Vidisha Maitra?
Vidisha Maitra is a 2008 batch IFS officer and India’s newest diplomat at the United Nations. Promising from the beginning, she won the External Affairs Ministry’s medal for best officer trainee in 2009.
During her reply, she interestingly used the full name of Imran Khan. With Pakistan's representatives taking notes, Maitra addressed the Pakistan PM as Imran Khan Niazi. She used the full name when slamming Pakistan for its doublespeak on human and minority rights. She also remined Khan and Pakistan of the 1971 war and the surrender of Gen A A K Niazi.
"Pogroms, Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi, are not a phenomenon of today's vibrant democracies. We would request you to refresh your rather sketchy understanding of history."
"Do not forget the gruesome genocide perpetrated by Pakistan against its own people in 1971 and the role played by Lt. Gen A A K Niazi. A sordid fact that the Hon'ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh reminded this Assembly about earlier this afternoon."
Imran Khan prefers not to use his Niazi surname. He had issue a directive not to use his full name after becoming prime minister. By using Khan’s surname Niazi, India highlighted his link with the Niazi clan of Pakistan. Imran has been facing increasing calls of "Go Niazi Go Back" even inside Pakistan Parliament.
