India on Wednesday strongly responded to Pakistan’s remarks at the United Nations Security Council, accusing Islamabad of using an international platform to push a “false narrative” on Jammu and Kashmir.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Kashmir has always been and will continue to be an integral and inalienable part of India, while accusing Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism as a state policy.
He made the remarks during the High-Level Open Debate of the UN Security Council on Natural Resources Governance: the Foundation of Peace, Security and Prosperity.
The Indian envoy said New Delhi did not intend to bring bilateral issues into the debate, but Pakistan’s intervention forced it to respond.
“It was not our intention to bring other issues in this forum, but my delegation is compelled to respond to Pakistan, as it has chosen to misuse today’s proceeding to peddle its false narrative,” Harish said.
India’s response on Jammu and Kashmir
Addressing Pakistan’s claims on Kashmir, Harish said New Delhi’s position on the union territory has not changed.
“For the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, it has always been, is, and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India. This is the constitutional and legal reality that Pakistan deliberately chooses to ignore,” he said.
The ambassador also accused Pakistan of illegally occupying parts of Indian territory.
“The only outstanding issue with regard to Jammu and Kashmir is the naked aggression and illegal occupation of India’s sovereign territory by Pakistan,” he said.
India has repeatedly maintained at international forums that Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of its internal jurisdiction and has accused Pakistan of supporting militant groups operating across the Line of Control.
Indus Waters Treaty and terrorism issue
The Indian envoy also referred to the Indus Waters Treaty while criticising Pakistan’s approach towards bilateral relations.
Harish said cooperation under the water-sharing agreement depends on trust between the two countries and accused Pakistan of using terrorism as a tool against India.
“Our position on the Indus Water Treaty is clear and consistent. Cooperation on the basis of mutual trust and goodwill cannot be expected when cross-border terrorism is regularly deployed as an instrument of State policy,” he said.
Signed in 1960 with the help of the World Bank, the treaty governs the sharing of river waters between India and Pakistan. The agreement has been debated during periods of tension between the two neighbours.
India tells Pakistan to address internal issues
In his closing remarks, Harish criticised Pakistan’s comments against India and said Islamabad should focus on resolving its own challenges.
“Instead of pointing fingers at India, Pakistan would serve itself and its people far better by putting its own house in order,” he said.
