India has once again delivered a stern and uncompromising rebuke to Pakistan on the global stage of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, categorically stated that the neighboring country continues to employ terrorism as a strategic tool of state policy. During a high-level open debate, India highlighted the persistent issue of cross-border terrorism and reaffirmed its sovereign stance on the status of Jammu and Kashmir, while also advising Pakistan to focus on its internal crises rather than interfering in India's domestic affairs.
Terrorism as a Tool of State Policy
Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, while addressing the council, didn't mince words regarding Pakistan's continued support for terror activities. He emphasized that the use of terrorism as a strategic instrument by a state is entirely unacceptable in the modern international order, while the Ambassador pointed out that Pakistan's reliance on cross-border terrorism as a "Tool of State Policy" remains a significant barrier to peace and stability in the region. He noted that such actions undermine the very foundations of international cooperation and security that the UNSC seeks to uphold, while the Indian envoy made it clear that as long as terrorism is used as a regular instrument of statecraft, the prospects for normal diplomatic engagement remain severely hampered.
Jammu and Kashmir: An Integral and Inalienable Part
During the debate, Ambassador Harish reiterated India's long-standing and firm position on Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that the entire territory of Jammu and Kashmir has been, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. He described this as a constitutional and legal truth that Pakistan deliberately chooses to ignore. The Ambassador further clarified that the only pending issue regarding Jammu and Kashmir is the illegal occupation and open aggression by Pakistan on Indian sovereign territory. By bringing this up, India effectively countered Pakistan's attempts to internationalize a settled domestic matter.
Misuse of the UNSC Platform
The Indian representative strongly criticized Pakistan for misusing the high-level open debate to spread false narratives. " Ambassador Harish noted that while India had no intention of raising extraneous issues at this forum, it was compelled to respond because Pakistan used the discussion to propagate its habitual falsehoods. He condemned the attempt to divert the council's attention from the core subject of natural resource governance to serve a narrow and biased political agenda.
Indus Waters Treaty and Mutual Trust
Speaking on the Indus Waters Treaty, Ambassador Harish provided a clear and consistent perspective, while he stated that India's stance on the treaty is stable and transparent. However, he pointed out that cooperation based on mutual trust and goodwill is impossible to achieve as long as cross-border terrorism is utilized as a state policy. The Ambassador's remarks underscored that trust is a two-way street and can't exist in an environment where one party actively sponsors violence against the other. This statement highlighted the direct link between regional security and the successful implementation of bilateral agreements.
Advice to Resolve Internal Issues
In a concluding piece of advice, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish urged Pakistan to look inward and address its own mounting domestic problems. He suggested that instead of pointing fingers at India and making baseless allegations on international platforms, Pakistan would do much more for itself and its people by resolving its internal issues, while this remark served as a reminder of the various economic and political challenges currently facing Pakistan. India had previously warned at the UN that Pakistan would have to face serious consequences for its continued support of cross-border terrorism, and this latest address reinforced that firm diplomatic stance.