India rebukes Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir remark at UN: J&K was, is, and will remain an integral part
PTC News Desk: India strongly rebuked Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday over what it described as “unwarranted references” to Jammu and Kashmir, warning Islamabad against spreading “false and biased narratives.”
Responding to remarks made by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad during a discussion on the UN Security Council’s Annual Report, India’s Permanent Representative P Harish reiterated that all issues related to Jammu and Kashmir are strictly India’s internal matter. He emphasized that the Union Territory “is and will always remain an integral and inseparable part of India.”
Harish said any claims suggesting otherwise are baseless, unsupported by historical facts and disconnected from reality. He added that Pakistan’s repeated rhetoric and assertions cannot alter this fundamental truth.
Criticising Islamabad’s conduct at the UN, Harish noted that membership of the Security Council carries significant responsibility. He accused Pakistan of once again misusing an important international platform to advance divisive political interests. Pakistan is currently serving a two-year term as an elected member of the Security Council, which concludes later this year.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) lodged a strong protest over Pakistan's plans to hold June 7 general elections to the so-called Gilgit-Baltistan assembly, maintaining that the region is Indian territory that has been "illegally and forcibly" occupied.
"The government of India further emphasised that such endeavours by Pakistan cannot mask the underlying issues of grave human rights violations, political repression, economic exploitation and denial of freedom in territories illegally occupied by Pakistan," it said in a statement.
"The government of India categorically rejects any attempts by Pakistan to bring material change to areas under Pakistan's illegal occupation, and underlines that such actions cannot hide the fact that Pakistan illegally remains in possession of Indian territories, which it must vacate," the ministry said.
- With inputs from agencies
