India firmly dismissed Pakistan’s references to Jammu and Kashmir during a United Nations debate on peacekeeping reforms, calling them “unwarranted” and reaffirming that the region is an integral part of India.
Speaking at the UN Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, condemned Pakistan’s attempt to divert attention from crucial discussions. “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,” he stated.
Harish further stressed that Pakistan continues to occupy parts of Jammu and Kashmir illegally and must vacate the territory. He reaffirmed that India’s sovereignty was non-negotiable and would not be undermined by Pakistan’s “parochial and divisive agenda.”
While the session focused on UN peacekeeping reforms, India used the opportunity to advocate for modernizing peacekeeping missions to address new challenges posed by armed groups, non-state actors, and advanced weaponry. Harish also emphasized the importance of adequate funding and the role of troop-contributing countries in shaping peacekeeping mandates.
Highlighting India’s leadership in promoting gender inclusion in peacekeeping, he referenced the country’s recent hosting of the first-ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers from the Global South. “It is no longer a question of whether women can do peacekeeping. Rather, it is about whether peacekeeping can do without women,” he remarked.
Reiterating India’s commitment to UN peacekeeping, Harish called for urgent Security Council reforms to make the body more representative of today’s geopolitical realities.
