United Nations, Sep 26 (IANS) In a sabre-rattling speech to the General Assembly on Friday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif made threats to India, praising the nation’s military leaders, showing the real powers behind the throne.

He threatened a Pakistan attack on India under the guise of defending its “right” to Indus waters, calling India’s restriction an “act of war”.

Sharif claimed that Pakistan had a “victory” in the May conflict with India and acted from a position of strength; in reality, it was his Director General of Military Operations, Major General Kashif Abdullah, who called his Indian counterpart, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, and asked for a ceasefire.

Besides his military overlords, Sharif also showered praise on US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping.

Playing up to Trump’s ego, he claimed that Trump avoided a “catastrophic” war — the rationale for Pakistan was nominating him for a Nobel Prize.

Sharif said he was also grateful to Trump for meeting with Arab and some Muslim majority countries at the UN this week.

Paying obeisance to his country’s patron, Xi, he expressed admiration for his “vision and foresight”.

After India, Sharif’s attacks were directed against Israel, demonising it as “genocidal” and asserting that it had “unleashed unspeakable terror”.

He tried to link Kashmir, speaking about Palestine in the same breath as he attacked India over Kashmir.

He invoked a Security Council resolution on a plebiscite in Kashmir, although it also demands that Pakistan withdraw its armed forces, tribesmen and civilian intruders from Kashmir.

–IANS

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