4 times in 4 weeks, India schools Pakistan over its ‘unwarranted’ remarks on Jammu and Kashmir

India on Wednesday once again rejected Pakistan’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating that the Union Territory is an integral part of India and remains a strictly internal matter.

The latest response came at the United Nations in New York, marking the fourth time in as many weeks that New Delhi has publicly pushed back against comments or actions by Pakistan relating to Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking at the UN, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, criticised Pakistan for raising the issue at an international forum. He said Jammu and Kashmir “is, was and will remain” an internal matter of India and accused Pakistan of politicising a platform where impartiality was expected.

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The latest exchange follows three other strong responses from India in June, highlighting New Delhi’s consistent position that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country.

June 24: India responds at the UN

At a UN forum in New York, Ambassador Harish rejected what he described as Pakistan’s “unwarranted remarks” on Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to Pakistan’s intervention, he said it was surprising that a co-chair expected to remain balanced and unbiased had chosen to politicise the discussion. Stressing India’s long-standing position, he stated that Jammu and Kashmir is a matter strictly internal to India and always will remain so.

The statement was the latest in a series of diplomatic rebuttals issued by India over the past month.

June 19: Sharp rebuttal at UN Human Rights Council

Earlier this month, India strongly criticised Pakistan at the 62nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

Exercising India's right of reply, First Secretary at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Anupama Singh, rejected references made by Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) regarding Jammu and Kashmir.

She accused Pakistan of using propaganda to divert attention from its domestic challenges and support for terrorism. Reaffirming India’s position, Singh said Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”

India also highlighted the situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), alleging political repression, human rights concerns and the use of force against protesters.

June 5: Protest over Gilgit-Baltistan elections

On June 5, India lodged a strong protest against Pakistan’s decision to hold elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, a region that is considered as part of the Union Territory of Ladakh, but remains under illegal Pakistani occupation.

In an official statement, the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that the entire territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including Gilgit-Baltistan, legally acceded to India in 1947.

India said Pakistan’s actions could not alter the status of the region and accused Islamabad of attempting to mask issues such as political repression, economic exploitation and human rights violations in areas under its illegal control.

June 2: India rejects EU-Pakistan statement

The first diplomatic pushback of the month came on June 2, after a joint statement issued following the EU-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue linked Jammu and Kashmir with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Reacting to the reference, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India categorically rejected what he called “unwarranted references” to its internal affairs.

He reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India and said that those with “no locus standi” should refrain from commenting on such matters.

Taken together, the four responses over four weeks underline New Delhi’s continued effort to firmly counter any unwarranted references to Jammu and Kashmir.