Occupied Kashmir will never be 'integral part of India': Islamabad slams New Delhi for 'misleading' UNSC

Pakistan and India again traded barbs at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) — this time on occupied Kashmir — with Islamabad slamming the other side for “misleading” the council.

Speaking during the presentation of the UNSC’s Annual Report to the General Assembly on Friday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, according to a press release. Pakistan coordinated and drafted the introduction to the annual report.

Subsequently, in his statement, India’s UN envoy, Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of misusing the UN platforms for its so-called “divisive political interests”. He also asserted that the occupied region of Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India”.

In turn, Political Coordinator at the Pakistan Mission Gul Qaiser Sarwani, utilising the right of reply, pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir “remains an internationally recognised dispute on the agenda of the Security Council”.

“No amount of obfuscation can alter the historical, legal and international character of this dispute. Jammu and Kashmir never was, neither is, and nor will ever be so-called an integral part of India,” the official declared.

“I would advise the Indian representative to carefully read the report, rather than denying facts, deflecting attention and misleading the august Assembly,” Sarwani said, highlighting facts stated in the Annual Report.

He continued: “Nearly eight decades after the Council’s resolutions, calling for a UN-supervised plebiscite, the Kashmiri people continue to be denied their inalienable right to self-determination.

“Meanwhile, arbitrary detentions, restrictions on fundamental freedoms, demographic engineering and other human rights violations continue in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The gravity of the situation was reflected in the Joint Communication issued by United Nations Special Procedures on 16 October 2025.”

Sarwani emphasised that “by refusing to implement Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, India continues to disregard its obligations under the UN Charter, including Article 25, which requires member states to accept and carry out” the UNSC’s decisions.

He then went on to shed light on New Delhi’s “troubling record: sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan, perpetrating state terrorism in the IIOJK, conducting state-backed assassination campaigns in foreign countries, stoking violence against minorities, support for destabilising activities in the region and disregard for international law, including its unlawful attempt to hold the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance”.

Continued relevance of Kashmir, Palestine issues

In his remarks, Ambassador Ahmad said the UNSC’s Annual Report for 2025 highlighted the continued relevance of long-standing disputes on the council’s agenda, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the Question of Palestine.

“Pakistan believes that durable peace in South Asia requires a just settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people, who must be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination promised to them by the Security Council and the international community,” he said.

Ahmad highlighted that more than 20 communications concerning the India-Pakistan Question were brought to the attention of the UNSC during the reporting period, adding that the council also held closed consultations under this agenda item in May 2025.

This, he said, underscores that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which has remained on the UNSC’s agenda for more than seven decades, continues to engage its attention.

Ambassador Ahmad also raised the Palestine question, calling for the implementation of the UNSC’s Resolution 2083, which was adopted in November 2025 and endorsed US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.

He noted that the continuing tragedy in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in Gaza, remained high on the UNSC’s agenda.

Referring to the unanimous adoption of Pakistan-sponsored Resolution 2788 in July 2025, Ambassador Ahmad said that it reflected a shared commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes and the fuller utilisation of the UN Charter’s mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution.

The envoy noted that Pakistan coordinated and drafted the introduction to the UNSC’s 2025 Annual Report in its capacity as the Council President in July 2025.

“As a penholder, Pakistan’s objective was to make the report comprehensive, objective, analytical, and consensus-based, while recognising that further improvements remain possible,” the press release noted.

Underscoring the importance of a more democratic and accountable multilateral system in light of current global challenges, the envoy expressed Pakistan’s concern over the use of veto among the member states and called for reforms within the UNSC.

Ahmad opposed the expansion of permanent seats and veto powers, arguing that such measures would undermine the objectives of reform.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to comprehensive UNSC reform that serves the interests of the wider UN membership, encapsulated in its position: “Reform for all, privilege for none.”