India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for its “repeated references” to Jammu and Kashmir at a United Nations debate on peacekeeping reforms. Speaking at the Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said the remarks were “unwarranted” and reiterated that the region “was, is, and will always be an integral part of India.”

“India is compelled to note that the delegate of Pakistan has yet again resorted to unwarranted remarks on the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Such repeated references neither validate their illegal claims nor justify their state-sponsored cross-border terrorism,” Mr Harish said.

He advised Pakistan not to try to “divert” the attention of the forum to drive its “parochial and divisive agenda”.

Mr Harish also said that Pakistan continues to “illegally occupy” part of Jammu and Kashmir, and “must vacate” the territory.

#WATCH | Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish P said, “India is compelled to note that the delegate of Pakistan has yet again resorted to unwarranted remarks on the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Such repeated references neither… pic.twitter.com/SiGknVNsoX

— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2025

Mr Harish’s retort came after Syed Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister, spoke on Jammu and Kashmir during a discussion on the future of UN Peacekeeping at the Security Council.

India has maintained that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan but insists that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagement.

In a recent podcast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that every attempt to foster peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal.

In an interaction with US-based podcaster Lex Fridman, he recalled that he had specially invited his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014.

“It [invitation] was a gesture of goodwill. It was a diplomatic gesture unlike any in decades,” he said.

“Yet, every noble attempt at fostering peace was met with hostility and betrayal. We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails upon them and they choose the path of peace,” PM Modi said.

He also called out Pakistan’s long-standing role in fostering terrorism, emphasising that the world was no longer in doubt about where the roots of terror lie.