India Rejects Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s Kashmir Claims at UN

India has strongly rejected remarks made by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the United Nations General Assembly, particularly his comments on Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism and the Indus Waters Treaty. Responding through the right of reply, India accused Pakistan of continuing to support cross-border terrorism and said such actions would have consequences.

Sharif, while addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, again raised the Kashmir issue and called for what he described as a “just and fair solution”. He claimed that people in Kashmir had been waiting for the United Nations to fulfil its commitment to a free and impartial plebiscite.

The Pakistani prime minister also alleged that generations of Kashmiris had faced serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and sexual violence. He presented the Kashmir dispute as an issue requiring international attention. India responded sharply to these claims. Petal Gahlot, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, rejected Pakistan’s remarks and said Islamabad had followed a long-standing policy of cross-border terrorism.

She asserted that India would continue to exercise its right to defend itself against terrorism. Gahlot also criticised Pakistan’s references to democratic rights and human values, pointing to what India described as Pakistan’s own record on minority rights and religious intolerance. She argued that repeated allegations against India did not alter New Delhi’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.

India reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and rejected Pakistan’s claims concerning the region. New Delhi also drew attention to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir while responding to Islamabad’s statements. The Indus Waters Treaty was another issue raised by Sharif during his address. He warned that any attempt to stop or divert Pakistan’s share of the Indus river waters would be regarded by his country as an act of war. India has previously maintained its position on the treaty and its actions concerning water resources.

The exchange at the UN came amid continuing tensions between the two countries following the military confrontation between India and Pakistan in 2025. Both sides have continued to present sharply different accounts of the conflict and the broader security situation.