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At UN, India thrashes Pakistan, calls for rising 'beyond their narrow considerations’
India envoy Eldos Mathew Punnoose accused Pakistan of repeatedly misusing UN platforms to further its “divisive agenda”.
India on Thursday strongly pushed back against Pakistan at the United Nations after Islamabad’s envoy raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during a General Assembly session, accusing Pakistan of repeatedly misusing UN platforms to further what New Delhi described as a “divisive agenda”.
The response came after Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, made a reference to Jammu and Kashmir during his address to the General Assembly. India said the remarks were unwarranted and detached from ground realities.
Delivering India’s national statement at the UN General Assembly Plenary on the ‘Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organisation’, Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Eldos Mathew Punnoose said Pakistan continued to politicise multilateral platforms, reported news agency PTI.
“At a time when member states have to rise beyond their narrow considerations, Pakistan continues to misuse all platforms and processes in the UN to drive their divisive agenda,” Punnoose said.
‘Must not abuse self-determination’
Calling out Pakistan’s reference to the region, Punnoose underlined India’s long-standing position on Jammu and Kashmir.
“This forum is no exception either and Pakistan made an unwarranted reference to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, an integral and inalienable part of India,” he said, PTI added.
India’s rebuttal followed Pakistan’s repeated attempts to raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir across various UN forums, efforts that New Delhi says have failed to gain wider international support.
Punnoose also addressed the issue of self-determination, cautioning against what he described as its misuse to justify secessionist narratives.
“The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle enshrined in the UN Charter. However, this right must not be abused to encourage secession in pluralistic and democratic states. Though habituated, Pakistan would do well if they do not resort to baseless allegations and falsehoods and portray a picture that is completely detached from reality,” the agency quoted him as saying.
Global South challenges
Beyond the India-Pakistan exchange, the PTI report said that Punnoose used the platform to highlight concerns of the Global South, “India has consistently endeavoured to bring these to the forefront across all UN platforms. Concerted and focused follow up action is required on this front. Moving forward, there is a need to translate the sentiments of the Global South to concrete and tangible steps,” he said.
Questions over UN’s effectiveness
Reflecting on the broader state of the United Nations, Punnoose said the organisation was passing through a critical phase, with expectations rising across its core mandates.
“United Nations is going through a crucial phase, as it faces various critical challenges. World citizenry expects the UN to deliver on each of the three pillars – peace and security, development and human rights,” the PTI report added.
India also flagged concerns over the UN’s ability to act decisively, particularly on global conflicts.
India emphasised that UN's inability to purposefully intervene on its critical functions leads to questions related to efficacy, legitimacy and credibility. “This is quite pronounced in case of maintenance of international peace and security. As conflicts rage across different parts of the globe, the world hopes the UN to deliver, to put an end to human suffering and misery,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
