Taking a tough stand against Pakistan at the United Nations (UN), India on Friday urged the country to stop cross-border terrorism, dismantle terror infrastructure on its soil and vacate Indian territories under its illegal occupation.
The response came after Pakistan's interim PM Anwar Ul Haq Kakar raked up the Kashmir issue during his address at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Kakar had called Kashmir as the key to peace between India and Pakistan.
Petal Gahlot, India's first secretary at United Nations for second committee of UNGA, said: "Pakistan has become a habitual offender when it comes to misusing this August forum to peddle baseless and malicious propaganda against India."
“Member states of the United Nations and other multilateral organisations are well aware that Pakistan does so to deflect the international community's attention away from its own abysmal record on human rights. We reiterate that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir are an integral part of India. Matters pertaining to the UTs of J&K and Ladakh are purely internal to India. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our domestic matters," she added.
"In order for there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pakistan needs to take are threefold. First, stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. And third, stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan," Gahlot stated.
The first secretary said Pakistan should take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, instead of "engaging in technical sophistry".
Taking on Pakistan for its abysmal human rights records, Gahlot highlighted instances of attacks on minority communities in that country. Over the years, Pakistan has been trying to internationalise Jammu and Kashmir at global forums including the UN. India has been calling out Pakistan for sheltering terrorism on its soil.
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