India delivered a strong response to Pakistan’s mention of Kashmir at the UN General Assembly, emphasizing the need for concrete action against terrorism. Petal Gahlot, First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, highlighted that Pakistan is home to numerous proscribed terrorist entities and individuals globally. She urged Pakistan to focus on addressing the 26/11 Mumbai attacks’ perpetrators instead of engaging in technical arguments.
Gahlot outlined three essential steps for peace in South Asia: ending cross-border terrorism, relinquishing occupied Indian territories, and halting human rights violations against minorities in Pakistan.
While Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, expressed a desire for peaceful relations, Gahlot reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India, emphasizing that these matters are internal and Pakistan has no standing to comment.
India criticized Pakistan’s misuse of the UN forum to spread baseless propaganda and deflect attention from its own human rights issues, particularly concerning minorities and women. Gahlot cited instances of violence against minority communities, including the destruction of churches and persecution of Ahmadiyyas. She also pointed to a report by Pakistan’s human rights commission, revealing the abduction, forced conversion, and marriage of around 1000 women from minority communities annually.
In response, a Pakistani diplomat exercised Islamabad’s Right to Reply, highlighting India’s practice of assigning young diplomats to deliver sharp responses to Pakistan’s leaders when the Kashmir issue is raised at the UN General Assembly.
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