Pakistan 'serial borrower from IMF', 'steeped in terrorism': India at UN
He was speaking at the UNSC high-level open debate on 'Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes' held under Pakistan's presidency of the 15-nation Council for July. In May this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had approved disbursement of about $1 billion to Pakistan under its extended fund facility, bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to about $2.1 billion. "The Indian subcontinent offers a stark contrast in terms of progress, prosperity and development models," Harish said, responding to remarks made by the representative from Pakistan.
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Please select course:
Select a Course Category
Product Management
Artificial Intelligence
Management
PGDM
Leadership
Technology
Data Analytics
healthcare
Digital Marketing
Design Thinking
others
Data Science
Cybersecurity
Others
MBA
Operations Management
Finance
Data Science
MCA
Healthcare
Project Management
Public Policy
Degree
CXO
Skills you'll gain:
Product Strategy & Competitive Advantage Tactics
Product Development Processes & Market Orientations
Product Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making
Agile Development, Design Thinking, & Product Leadership
Duration:
40 Weeks
IIM Kozhikode
Professional Certificate in Product Management
Starts on
Jun 26, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Product Strategy & Roadmapping
User-Centric Product Design
Agile Product Development
Market Analysis & Product Launch
Duration:
24 Weeks
Indian School of Business
Professional Certificate in Product Management
Starts on
Jun 26, 2024
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Creating Effective Product Roadmap
User Research & Translating it to Product Design
Key Metrics via Product Analytics
Hand-On Projects Using Cutting Edge Tools
Duration:
12 Weeks
Indian School of Business
ISB Product Management
Starts on
May 14, 2024
Get Details
Harish further said, "It ill behoves a member of the Council to offer homilies while indulging in practices that are unacceptable to the international community."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Elegant New Scooters For Seniors In 2024: The Prices May Surprise You
Mobility Scooter | Search Ads
Learn More
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar presided over the open debate that was also addressed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. In his remarks to the debate in his national capacity, Dar raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir as well as the Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-member UNSC for the 2025-26 term.
Live Events
Harish also issued a strong message on the need for accountability in terror cases, referencing the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, J&K in which 26 civilians were killed.
"There should also be a serious cost to states who violate the spirit of good neighbourliness and international relations by fomenting cross-border terrorism," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
13 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump pulls the trigger, doubles India levy to 50%
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday imposing an additional 25% tariff on all Indian goods entering the US, carrying out his threat made a day ago to penalise New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil. Trump's additional 25% tariff followed after over a week of criticism focused on New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian energy. (REUTERS) The additional 25%, due to take effect on August 27, puts India at par with Brazil as the two countries whose exports will face the highest levy of 50% on their goods. The duties would put Indian exporters at a significant disadvantage compared to their rivals in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam – which face tariffs of between 19% and 20% tariffs. 'I have received additional information from various senior officials on the actions of the government of the Russian Federation with respect to the situation in Ukraine,' Trump wrote in the executive order. 'I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports of articles of India, which is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil.' India hit back, reiterating that the American actions are 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable'. 'India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests,' ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement, adding that it was 'extremely unfortunate' that the US had chosen to act against India 'for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest'. He was alluding to continuing imports of Russian energy, especially LNG, by European Union (EU) member states that have paid Russia $105.6 billion for gas imports since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. Almost 87% of all EU imports of Russian LNG went to Spain, France or Belgium, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named. To be sure, the executive order continues exemptions provided earlier for sectors like pharmaceuticals and smartphones — though how long these exemptions remain is unclear. The order also exempts goods that are already in transit to America and which will clear US customs before September 17. 'The move places India among the most heavily taxed US trading partners, far above rivals such as China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, and threatens most of India's $86.5 billion in annual exports to the US, from textiles to machinery,' according to analysis by the Global Trade Research Institute. 'The tariffs are expected to make Indian goods far costlier in the US, with potential to cut US-bound exports by 40–50%,' the GTRI analysis added. The executive order issued on Wednesday specifies that certain exemptions will continue. Among these are Section 232 national security exemptions that protect Indian pharmaceuticals — which account for about 40% of America's generic medicines — along with electronics, semiconductors and technology products that form the backbone of bilateral trade. Additional exemptions under Executive Order 14257's Annex II cover raw materials, certain metals and chemical formulations. Select product categories like apparels, vehicles and parts, furniture, organic chemicals and some food products like shrimp – which account for billions of dollars of exports -- will now face high tariffs entering the US market. Trump's additional 25% tariff followed after over a week of criticism focused on New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian energy. Washington has sought to increase economic pressure on Russia to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war by restricting Moscow's oil export revenues. India is Russia's second largest market for oil exports after China. In 2024, China purchased Russian oil worth $62.6 billion, followed by India's purchases to the tune of $52.7 billion. In the order, the US president also specified that he may – in the 21 days before the order takes effect – change the levy if 'if another country retaliates against the United States in response to this action, or if the government of the Russian Federation or a foreign country impacted by this order takes significant steps to address the national emergency and align sufficiently with the United States on national security, foreign policy, and economic matters.' In other words, Trump held out both a threat that he could ratchet up the levy or pare it back, depending on any retaliation or changes to Russia's stance in the war against Ukraine. Trump has set an August 8 deadline for Russia to agree to a Ukraine truce deal. 'There's a higher chance that India will find loopholes to concede the agri/soybean access the US has been asking for, than there is for India to halt oil purchases from Russia due to external pressure. Either way, it is unlikely that a decision will be taken on either front as long as Parliament is in session. Momentum on real solutions shouldn't be expected before August 20,' says Prerna Bountra, Deputy Director at the Ananta Aspen Centre, a New Delhi-based think tank. The rising tensions between India and the United States have also spiralled into a political controversy, with Opposition parties objecting to the government's handling of ties with America. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the move 'economic blackmail' by the US to bully India into an unfair trade deal, adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not let Indian interests be overridden. (With inputs from Rezaul H Laskar in New Delhi)
Hindustan Times
13 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump plans to meet Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky next week in a renewed bid to end Ukraine war
President Donald Trump told European allies he's planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as soon as next week in another bid to bring peace between the two countries. The effort to convene a meeting of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky came hours after Putin finished hosting US special envoy Steve Witkoff for three hours of discussions in Moscow.(AP) Trump detailed the plans in a phone call Wednesday that also included Zelensky, according to a person familiar with the discussion. The effort to convene a meeting of the three leaders came hours after Putin finished hosting US special envoy Steve Witkoff for three hours of discussions in Moscow. Trump in a social media post earlier on Wednesday said that there was 'great progress made' in that meeting, while still leaving open the possibility of further penalties on Moscow's oil revenues. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The New York Times first reported Trump's plans as relayed on the call with the diplomats. Earlier Wednesday, Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% as punishment for its purchases of Russian energy. US officials are weighing additional actions to choke off energy sales that are a key source of funds for Russia's war effort in Ukraine. The Trump administration is considering new sanctions on Moscow's covert fleet of oil tankers and several entities that enable them to operate, according to people familiar with the matter. 'Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies,' Trump said in the post. 'Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.' Still, a White House official said the US expected to implement secondary sanctions on Friday even as they expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the Witkoff-Putin meeting. Putin's government said little about the three-hour conversation, with Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov telling reporters the Russian leader exchanged 'signals' with Trump on Ukraine, without elaborating. The Russian vessels have become instrumental to its ability to move its oil despite US and European sanctions. 'The shadow tanker fleet is the backbone of Russia's sanctions evasion and war financing,' Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, said on the X platform. The Financial Times first reported the potential measures on Russia's shadow fleet. The people said the Trump administration is considering a range of options to restrict Putin's energy revenues. Other possibilities could include measures targeting oil companies and actions to better enforce existing restrictions.
India.com
13 minutes ago
- India.com
Trump's Tariffs, Xi's Handshake And Putin's Pipeline – What PM Modi Hopes To Gain At SCO Summit In China
New Delhi: With Washington's tariff hammer falling hard and regional diplomacy entering a turbulent stretch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. It will mark his first visit to the country since the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Scheduled for August 31 to September 1 in the northern port city of Tianjin, the visit comes at a delicate moment. Not only is India navigating fallout from stiff new trade duties imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, but it is also facing scrutiny over its oil imports from Russia. Modi's presence at the SCO summit is being seen by many as an attempt to recalibrate India's strategic posture, especially as tensions with the West rise and ties with Beijing show signs of cautious repair. This is the prime minister's first trip to China in five years. While he last set foot on Chinese soil in 2019, he did meet President Xi Jinping briefly during the BRICS summit held in Kazan in October 2024. That interaction helped ease the freeze in high-level dialogue and set the stage for ongoing border talks. It also helped the reopening of the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, a symbolic step toward thawing relations. But trust remains fragile. India's decision to attend the SCO summit also comes just weeks after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to sign a joint statement at a key SCO defence meet. The reason was omission of any mention of the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left 26 dead, in the statement. Instead, the final document inserted a reference to Balochistan that was widely seen as a move pushed by Pakistan to paint India as a regional destabiliser. The omission did not go unnoticed in New Delhi. According to Indian officials, the document appeared tilted, with no acknowledgment of the human cost of the Pahalgam killings. However, in a surprise move the following month, China issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack. It came after the United States officially designated The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot, as a foreign terrorist organisation. Beijing's reaction reflected a shift in tone, even if not in alignment. 'China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns the terrorist attack that occurred on April 22... China calls on regional countries to enhance counterterrorism cooperation and jointly maintain regional security and stability,' said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian in a statement that caught diplomatic watchers off guard. Against this backdrop, PM Modi's China visit could carry more weight than just optics. Talks at the SCO will include 10 member countries: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The agenda includes counterterrorism, regional security and trade. With the United States hiking tariff pressure, there is growing speculation that New Delhi may be rebalancing (less reliant on the West and more open to multilateral blocs with Beijing and Moscow in the room). There is also the likelihood of side meetings between Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding geopolitical heft to the summit. Founded in 2001, the SCO has evolved from a regional security bloc to a broader platform for economic and strategic cooperation. But this year's gathering comes with unusual undertones: a terror attack still unresolved, trade wars intensifying and major powers reshuffling their alliances. For India, more than being a summit, the SCO is a test of how far it can stretch its strategic space between a China that shares a tense border, a Russia that supplies its oil and a United States that is tightening the screws on both.
