New York: Pakistan has reiterated its stance at the United Nations that Jammu and Kashmir is not an integral part of India, nor is it an internal matter of the country. This declaration was made in response to remarks by the Indian representative at the UN Security Council.

According to Radio Pakistan, Ms. Saima Saleem, a Counsellor at Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN, stated that India’s denial cannot alter history, change the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir, or hide decades of human rights violations against the Kashmiri people. She emphasized that these violations include the denial of their right to self-determination.

Ms. Saleem pointed out that India initially brought the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the Security Council and continues to defy its resolutions. She stated that peace in South Asia can only be achieved through adherence to the UN Charter and international law, rather than through denial or defiance.

In her address, Ms. Saleem accused India of being a state sponsor of terrorism, claiming that Pakistan has suffered significant losses due to terrorism allegedly perpetrated by Indian-backed groups. She also criticized India’s current government, accusing it of state-sponsored Islamophobia and persecution of minorities, including Muslims, Christians, Dalits, and Sikhs.