'J&K was, is and will remain part of India': New Delhi rebukes Pakistan at UN

NEW DELHI: India on early Saturday rebuked Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), accusing it of misusing UN platforms to advance its political agenda and reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is, and will always remain" an integral part of India.Speaking during the General Assembly's plenary meeting on the Annual Report of the UN Security Council, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, said Pakistan had once again raised issues that were strictly India's internal matters."The unwarranted reference by Pakistan to a matter strictly internal to India, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, has compelled me to respond," the Indian envoy said.Responding to Pakistan's Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad's references to the Union Territory, India further alleged that Pakistan had abused its position as a member of the UN Security Council by circulating "misinformed and misleading communications.""Pakistan has decided not to spare this forum either from their characteristic misuse of august UN platforms for their divisive political interests. I'd like to remind Pakistan that being a member of the UN Security Council is a huge responsibility. It's not a forum for peddling biased and false narratives," the envoy said.‘J&K will remain an integral part of India’, envoy reiteratedMaking India's position clear on Kashmir, the diplomat stated, "Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. Any assertions to the contrary are baseless, devoid of and inconsistent with historical facts."He added that "empty rhetoric and hollow claims by Pakistan would not change this fundamental reality."The remarks came during a broader discussion on the security council's annual report.India also called for the report to be submitted earlier in the year and urged reforms to make the Security Council more representative of contemporary geopolitical realities."Retaining the status quo has so far not enabled effective functioning of the Security Council and cannot do so in future," the Indian envoy said, advocating expansion of both the permanent and non-permanent categories of Council membership.The remarks were delivered as India participated in the UN General Assembly plenary on the Annual Report of the Security Council, where it also congratulated Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe on their election to the Security Council for the 2027-28 term.India slams poll plans in PoK's Gilgit-BaltistanThe ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Friday lodged a "strong protest" over Pakistan's plans to hold general elections in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir's Gilgit-Baltistan assembly."The Government of India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan regarding the latter’s plans to hold “General Elections” to the so-called 'Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly', in the Indian territories illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan, scheduled for 7 June 2026," MEA said in a statement.It reiterated its stance on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh region, calling it an "integral and inalienable parts of India as a result of complete, legal and irrevocable accession of Jammu & Kashmir to India in 1947," including POK's Gilgit-Baltistan assembly."The Government of India categorically rejects any attempts by Pakistan to bring material change to areas under Pakistan’s illegal occupation, and underlines that such actions cannot hide the fact that Pakistan illegally remains in possession of Indian territories, which it must vacate," it said.