India has slammed Pakistan for its “unjustified” reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the UN General Assembly, with New Delhi asserting that such remarks will neither validate the country’s claim nor justify its practice of cross-border terrorism.

“As is their habit, the former foreign secretary of Pakistan today has made an unjustified reference to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, said in remarks on Friday in the General Assembly at the informal meeting of the plenary to commemorate the International Day to combat Islamophobia.

Mr Harish said frequent references by Pakistan will “neither validate their claim nor justify their practice of cross-border terrorism”.

“The fanatical mindset of this nation is well known, as also its record of bigotry. Such efforts will not change the reality that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be an integral part of India,” he said.

Harish’s strong retort came after Pakistan’s former foreign secretary, Tehmina Janjua, made references to Jammu and Kashmir in her remarks at the informal meeting to commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.

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