‘Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will remain part of India’: How New Delhi took down Pakistan at UN | World

India strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday, accusing Islamabad of misusing UN platforms to advance its political agenda and reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir remains an integral part of India.

Addressing the UNGA plenary session on the Annual Report of the UN Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, responded to remarks made by Pakistan’s envoy regarding Jammu and Kashmir.

“The unwarranted reference by Pakistan to a matter strictly internal to India, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, has compelled me to respond,” Harish said.

The Indian diplomat accused Pakistan of repeatedly using international forums to promote what he described as misleading narratives. He also alleged that Pakistan had misused its position as a member of the UN Security Council by circulating inaccurate communications on issues concerning India.

“Pakistan has once again chosen to misuse this august platform for its divisive political interests. Membership of the UN Security Council carries significant responsibility and should not be used to peddle biased and false narratives,” he said.

Reaffirming India’s long-standing position on Kashmir, Harish stated that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.” He added that any claims suggesting otherwise were inconsistent with historical facts and would not alter the reality on the ground.

The exchange took place during a broader discussion on the Security Council’s annual report, where India also called for reforms to make the UN’s most powerful body more representative of contemporary global realities.

Harish urged member states to consider expanding both the permanent and non-permanent categories of the Security Council, arguing that maintaining the current structure had hindered its effectiveness.

“Retaining the status quo has not enabled the Security Council to function effectively and will not do so in the future,” he said.

India also congratulated Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe on their election as non-permanent members of the Security Council for the 2027-28 term.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) lodged a strong protest against Pakistan’s decision to conduct elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in the region that India claims as part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement issued on Friday, the MEA said India had conveyed its objections to Pakistan over the planned elections scheduled for June 7, 2026.

“The Government of India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan regarding its plans to hold ‘General Elections’ to the so-called Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in Indian territories that are illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan,” the ministry said.

India has consistently maintained that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including areas under Pakistan’s control, are an integral part of the country.

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