India Condemns Pakistan’s “Baseless and Deceitful Narratives” at UN General Assembly

News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/26th  June 2024

India has strongly rebuked Pakistan for its unfounded and misleading statements concerning Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly. This reaction came after Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Munir Akram, referenced Kashmir during the assembly’s discussions.

“Earlier in the day, one delegation misused this forum to spread baseless and deceitful narratives, which is not a surprise,” stated Pratik Mathur, Minister in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, on Tuesday. Mathur chose not to dignify these remarks with a detailed response, aiming to preserve the valuable time of the assembly.

Mathur’s remarks were made during India’s statement at the UN General Assembly debate on the Annual Report of the UN Security Council. His retort followed Pakistan’s familiar strategy of bringing up the Kashmir issue, regardless of the forum or the relevance of the subject matter being discussed.

Pakistan consistently raises the topic of Jammu and Kashmir at various UN platforms, seeking to internationalize the issue. However, these attempts have repeatedly failed to gain significant support or traction among the international community. India’s stance has been clear and consistent, rejecting Pakistan’s efforts to internationalize what it considers an internal matter.

India has unequivocally stated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. This position has been reiterated at multiple international forums, firmly dismissing any external interference in what India considers a domestic issue.

The confrontation at the UN General Assembly is the latest in a series of diplomatic exchanges between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. Pakistan’s persistence in raising the matter contrasts sharply with India’s insistence that the region is an integral part of its sovereign territory, where any issues must be resolved internally.

India’s response highlights its frustration with Pakistan’s continuous attempts to use international platforms to discuss Kashmir. These actions are seen by India as a diversion from more pressing global issues that require the UN’s attention and resources.

By choosing not to engage in a detailed rebuttal, Mathur signaled India’s desire to focus the UN’s efforts on substantive issues rather than what it views as Pakistan’s propaganda. This approach reflects a broader strategy to avoid legitimizing Pakistan’s claims by responding directly to them in such forums.

India’s firm stance is rooted in its policy that Kashmir is an internal matter, and any attempts by Pakistan to internationalize it are both inappropriate and unproductive. This policy is supported by India’s broader diplomatic efforts to isolate Pakistan on the issue and highlight its own development and integration efforts in the region.

The repeated clashes over Kashmir at international forums underscore the deep-seated tensions between the two countries. However, India’s consistent position remains that any dialogue on Kashmir must occur bilaterally, without external intervention.

As the international community continues to witness these exchanges, India maintains its focus on preventing Pakistan from diverting global attention away from more critical issues. This latest episode at the UN General Assembly serves as a reminder of the ongoing and complex nature of Indo-Pak relations, particularly regarding the Kashmir conflict.

The steadfast approach taken by India at the UN demonstrates its commitment to defending its territorial integrity while also emphasizing the need for the international community to prioritize more pressing global challenges over longstanding bilateral disputes.