Have Anger, Commitment Against Terrorism: PM Tells UN General Assembly

United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the UN General Assembly today, said the world needs to unite and have a consensus on fighting terrorism. "Terrorism is one of the biggest challenges before humanity," PM Modi said in a 20-minute speech.

Without naming Pakistan, PM Modi said there needed to be more anger globally about what terrorism was doing to humanity. "We belong to a country that has given the world Buddha (Buddha's message of peace), not 'Yuddh' (war)," said the Prime Minister.

A divided world, he said, was in nobody's interest. "Neither do we have an option to restrict ourselves to our borders. Multilateralism is the essence, we need give a new direction," he said.

"Swami Vivekananada had given the message of harmony and peace to the Parliament of Religions, and not dissension. The world's biggest democracy still has the same message for the world -- harmony and peace."

The Prime Minister has, without once making a direct reference to Pakistan, made it clear that the country is the epicenter of terror and needs to act against terror from its soil.

On Thursday, the US said reducing India, Pakistan tensions would depend on Islamabad taking action against those who engage in cross-border infiltration.

"I think what we would like to see are the conditions whereby India and Pakistan can have a constructive conversation that leads to an improvement of relations between the two nuclear powers," said Alice Wells, US Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia.

"And obviously, that is going to hinge off of counterterrorism, off of Pakistan's seriousness of effort in ensuring that groups don't take advantage and engage in cross-border infiltration, that there are serious steps to implement the Financial Action Task Force action plan that Pakistan has committed to, and which includes the prosecution of UN-designated terrorists. So whether it's Hafiz Saeed who currently is in custody and under prosecution, but also leaders of Jaish-e-Mohammed, like Masood Azhar, who long have been able to exploit their presence on Pakistani soil," she said.

On the sidelines of the UN meet, PM Modi has held meetings with US President Donald Trump and many other world leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the meet later today.

(Inputs from NDTV.com)