Pakistan, India trade barbs at UN over occupied Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India exchanged sharp remarks at the United Nations Security Council during discussion of the council’s annual report to the General Assembly, with Islamabad rejecting New Delhi’s position on occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, called on Friday for resolution of the Kashmir dispute while speaking during presentation of the UNSC’s Annual Report. Pakistan coordinated and drafted the introduction to the annual report.

In his statement, India’s UN envoy Harish Parvathaneni accused Pakistan of using UN platforms for what he described as divisive political interests. He also said Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India"

Responding in exercise of the right of reply, Political Coordinator at the Pakistan Mission Gul Qaiser Sarwani said Jammu and Kashmir remains an internationally recognised dispute that is on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council. Pakistan also said occupied Kashmir would never be an integral part of India and criticised New Delhi for what it called misleading the council.