During a recent session of the United Nations General Assembly, India strongly criticized Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks regarding the Kashmir issue on saturday.
While exercising the right to reply, Indian diplomat Bhavika Mangalanandan asserted, that Pakistan’s long-standing use of cross-border terrorism has aimed to disrupt elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which India considers an integral part of its territory.
Speaking at UNGA, Mangalanandan said, “As the world knows, Pakistan has long employed cross-border terrorism as a weapon against its neighbors.” Citing attacks on key Indian sites, including the parliament and the financial capital, Mumbai. She characterized Pakistan’s stance as hypocritical, given its history of election manipulation and internal strife.
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Meanwhile, Sharif had previously drawn parallels between the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and that of Palestine, urging India to reverse the abrogation of Article 370, which removed the region’s special status. He also called for dialogue in line with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
In response, India reiterated its firm position that dialogue cannot occur in tandem with terrorism. “There can be no compact with terrorism. Pakistan should understand that cross-border terrorism against India will inevitably invite consequences.”
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Additionally, India criticized Pakistan’s human rights record, referencing historical events such as the 1971 genocide and ongoing persecution of minorities, calling it “absurd” for a nation with such a record to address issues of intolerance.
Later, India also dismissed Sharif’s comments as “unacceptable” and “a travesty,” asserting that Pakistan’s attempts to distort the truth would not alter reality. “Our stance is clear and needs no reiteration.”
