India strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations, describing it as a "Frankenstein state" that is shocked when its own created "monster bites back".
Speaking during a discussion on the UN High Commissioner's annual report, India's First Secretary at the Permanent Mission to the UN, Anupama Singh, accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism by providing shelter, training and assistance to terror groups.
Her response came after Pakistan's representative raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during the session. "India is compelled to exercise this right of reply in response to references made to it by Pakistan and the OIC. We categorically reject the baseless and malicious allegations made by Pakistan," Singh said.
Responding to the claims, Singh said Jammu and Kashmir has always been an integral part of India and will continue to remain so. She added that the only unresolved issue is Pakistan's occupation of Indian territory.
She also accused Pakistan of spreading misinformation while ignoring the situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Referring to recent unrest in Rawalakot, Singh said “The ongoing tragedy in Rawalakot, the killing of hundreds of civilians, and the brutal crackdown across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir are the predictable outcome of a system built on forcible occupation and sustained through repression.”
Rawalakot witnessed violent protests earlier this month in which 11 persons, including four police personnel, were killed and hundreds were injured. She further added, “Decades of military land grabs, demographic engineering, and the denial of basic freedoms have brought matters to a point where even demands for bread, electricity, rights, and dignity are met with bullets and brutality. This should surprise no one. An illegal and illegitimate occupation can be sustained only through force.”
She also criticised Pakistan, saying even its own defence minister has publicly acknowledged the country's role in supporting terrorist groups. Singh said “And yet, Pakistan calls itself a victim of terrorism. Indeed, a paradox, which only Pakistan could sustain. It is a living example of a Frankenstein state which is shocked when its own monster bites back.”
The Indian diplomat also referred to the Indus Waters Treaty, which India suspended following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22 last year.
She said India's position on the treaty is clear and argued that a country accused of promoting terrorism cannot expect normal cooperation based on trust and goodwill. Singh also said the treaty, signed in 1960, no longer reflects present-day realities and needs to be viewed in the context of major changes that have taken place over the past six decades.
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, governs the sharing and use of the Indus river and its tributaries between India and Pakistan.
"A treaty negotiated in 1960 cannot be treated as a perpetual entitlement - insulated from accountability, detached from present-day realities, and untouched by the profound changes of the past six decades," she added.
Also read: India snubs Pak at UN over 'Fitna-al-Hindustan' narrative
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