“Govt at mercy of their Army”: India hits back at Pakistan at UN over Jammu and Kashmir remarks

India on Saturday hit back at Pakistan at the United Nations over its remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, accusing Islamabad of using the issue to divert attention from its own internal problems and alleging that its civilian governments operate at the “mercy” of the military.

Exercising its Right of Reply during a UN General Assembly Third Committee meeting, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the UN Bhavika Mangalanandan rejected Pakistan's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir and said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will remain “integral and inalienable” parts of India.

“We all know that the so-called civilian governments in Pakistan serve at the mercy of their Army and rarely complete their terms,” Mangalanandan said, according to PTI.

She also referred to jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, saying his health was reportedly deteriorating, and accused Pakistan of seeking to divert attention from domestic discontent by “sponsoring, inciting, abetting, and financing cross-border terrorism” in India for more than three decades.

India also accused Pakistan of trying to “mask” what it described as a crackdown in Rawalakot and other parts of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“This is a desperate attempt by Pakistan to mask the ongoing tragedy in Rawalakot and its other cities, the killing of hundreds of civilians, and the brutal crackdown across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, for merely demanding bread, electricity and human dignity,” Mangalanandan said.

She said the situation was a consequence of what India described as prolonged Pakistani military occupation and repression in the region, and criticised restrictions on media coverage in Pakistan.

India contrasted the situation with Jammu and Kashmir, pointing to the Assembly elections held in 2024 and the subsequent formation of an elected government.

“The contrast could not have been starker,” Mangalanandan said, adding that Pakistan should focus on addressing its “own fault lines” and developing its economy rather than “coveting the territory of others”.

Pakistan had raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during Friday's meeting of the Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.

India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country, while Pakistan disputes India's position and continues to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums.