New York: India has issued a strong statement at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), demanding that Pakistan vacate the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it continues to occupy illegally. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, made these remarks during the UNSC Open Debate on Advancing Adaptability in UN Peace Operations on March 24, 2025.
Ambassador Harish reaffirmed India’s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir, stating, “Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and will always be an integral part of India. Pakistan continues to illegally occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate.” He criticized Pakistan’s repeated attempts to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums, describing them as “unwarranted remarks” that neither validate Pakistan’s claims nor justify its state-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
India’s response came after Pakistan’s delegate attempted to divert the focus of the UNSC debate by bringing up the Kashmir issue. Ambassador Harish advised Pakistan to refrain from using the forum to pursue its “parochial and divisive agenda” and emphasized India’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Relations between India and Pakistan have remained strained since India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019, revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and reorganizing it into two Union Territories. India has consistently maintained that any dialogue with Pakistan must occur in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence.
This latest diplomatic confrontation underscores India’s firm stance on Jammu and Kashmir and its determination to counter Pakistan’s narrative on the international stage.
