India has strongly criticized Pakistan for referring to the Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir during a special session on Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly. India called the move "regrettable and misplaced" and accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists with impunity.
India's response highlighted Pakistan's track record of harbouring and supporting terrorists, which has been a major point of contention between the two countries for decades.
"I'm taking the floor today to say that India chooses this time not to respond to Pakistan's mischievious provocations. Our advice to the delegate of Pakistan is to refer to our numerous Rights of Reply that we have exercised in the past," Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Pratik Mathur said.
India's representative at the United Nations, Pratik Mathur exercised India's Right of Reply on Thursday, in response to Pakistan's envoy Munir Akram, who referred to the Indian region of Jammu and Kashmir while delivering an explanation of vote on the UN General Assembly resolution on Ukraine during the Emergency Special Session.
India slammed Pakistan on J&K issue
India's response highlighted Pakistan's continued attempts to interfere in India's internal affairs and its use of international forums to propagate false narratives. The Indian representative reiterated India's stance that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India and that any attempt by Pakistan to interfere in India's internal affairs will be strongly opposed.
"Pakistan has only to look at itself and its own track record as a state that harbours and provides safe havens to terrorists and does so with impunity. Such uncalled for provocation is particularly regrettable and certainly misplaced at a time when after two days of intense discussions, we have all agreed that the path of peace can be the only path forward to resolve conflict and discord," Mathur said.
Abdul Rehman Makki, the deputy chief of the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was designated as a "global terrorist" by India in January. India had made the listing of Pakistan-based terrorists a top priority during its tenure at the United Nations Security Council from 2021-22.
India submitted a total of five names for designation under 1267, including Abdul Rauf Asghar (JeM), Sajid Mir (LeT), Shahid Mahmood (LeT), and Talha Saeed (LeT). However, China placed each of these names on technical hold, while all other 14 members of the Council agreed to their listing. In 2020, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court had convicted Makki on one count of terrorism financing and sentenced him to prison, according to the US State Department.
with PTI inputs
