Pakistan lashes out at India in UN General Assembly
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The United Nations witnessed a heated exchange between Pakistani and Indian delegates regarding the right to self-determination for the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine during a recent debate in the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee, which deals with special political and decolonization issues.
Last week, Pakistan's UN Ambassador Munir Akram highlighted that Kashmiris and Palestinians were still denied their right to self-determination, describing the Indian occupation of Kashmir as a severe form of modern-day colonialism.
In response, Indian delegate Nitish Birdi argued that the right to self-determination should not justify undermining the territorial integrity of any member state and asserted that Kashmir and Ladakh remained integral parts of India.
Pakistani delegate Naeem Sabir Khan countered this by emphasizing that the right to self-determination is enshrined in various international documents, including the United Nations Charter and International Covenants on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Political Rights.
He also pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir is considered a disputed territory on United Nations maps, not an integral part of India. Furthermore, Naeem highlighted India's alleged state-sponsored terrorism and cited an Amnesty International report accusing India of targeting human rights defenders and civil society.
He expressed concerns about the rise in Islamophobia in India, attributing it to the government's pursuit of the "Hindutva" agenda and its support for anti-Islam and anti-Muslim rhetoric, which he argued had put minorities at risk in the country.
