India has firmly rejected Pakistan’s repeated reference to Jammu and Kashmir at a United Nations debate on peacekeeping reforms, terming them “unwarranted” and reaffirming that the region “was, is, and will always be an integral part of India.”
Speaking at the Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, condemned Pakistan for attempting to “divert attention” from the core discussions on peacekeeping.
He said, “India is compelled to note that the delegate of Pakistan has yet again resorted to unwarranted remarks on the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Such repeated references neither validate their illegal claims nor justify their state-sponsored cross-border terrorism.”
Harish further said, “Pakistan continues to illegally occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate,” he said, making it clear that India would not allow its sovereignty to be questioned at global forums.
He then said, “We would advise Pakistan not to try to divert attention from this forum.” India, he noted, would not engage in a detailed response but made its position clear. “India will refrain from exercising a more elaborate Right of Reply.”
The session was focused on reforms in UN peacekeeping; India took the opportunity to highlight the need for adapting the mission to modern challenges.
Harish highlighted the role of troop- and police-contributing countries in shaping mandates and called for “adequate funding” to match operational requirements.
Furthermore, he reaffirmed India’s “unwavering commitment” to UN peacekeeping and Security Council reforms to make the body more “reflective and representative of current geopolitical realities.”
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