Pakistan is still unlawfully occupying a portion of Jammu and Kashmir, and India insists that they must leave, as stated at the UN.
BY ADARSH MISHRA
New Delhi: On Tuesday, India firmly stated that Pakistan is still “illegally occupying” a portion of Jammu and Kashmir and insisted that it “must vacate” the territory. India also criticized its neighbor for making “repeated references” to J&K during a United Nations debate focused on peacekeeping reforms. While addressing the Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, described Pakistan’s comments as “unwarranted” and emphasized that the region “was, is, and will always be an integral part of India.” “India feels compelled to point out that the delegate from Pakistan has once again made unwarranted remarks regarding the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. These repeated claims do not validate their illegal assertions nor do they excuse their state-sponsored cross-border terrorism,” Harish stated. “Pakistan continues to illegally occupy Jammu and Kashmir, and it must vacate the area. We advise Pakistan not to attempt to divert this forum’s attention to push its narrow and divisive agenda. India will hold back from providing a more detailed Right of Reply,” he added. India’s response followed comments made by Syed Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant to the Pakistan Prime Minister, who spoke about Jammu and Kashmir during a discussion on the future of UN Peacekeeping at the Security Council. Just last week, India also challenged Pakistan at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHR) meeting in Geneva, dismissing its claims of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. “It’s unfortunate to see Pakistan’s so-called leaders and delegates continuing to spread falsehoods dictated by its military-terrorist complex,” remarked Indian envoy Kshitij Tyagi. India has consistently expressed its desire for normal neighborly relations with Pakistan but insists that it is up to Islamabad to foster an environment free from terror and hostility. Recently, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that if Pakistan were to vacate Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), it would resolve the Kashmir issue entirely.
