New York — India has told Pakistan at the United Nations to vacate the territory of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation and to focus on the welfare of its own citizens rather than acting on military directives, news agency ANI reported.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

Speaking at the UN General Assembly Third Committee's interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, India's First Secretary at the Permanent Mission to the UN, Raghoo Puri, said Pakistan had misused the forum, according to ANI. "Pakistan predictably misused the forum for propaganda. Jammu & Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India. Pakistan must vacate the territory under its illegal occupation," Puri said, as quoted by ANI.

Source: ANI via Indian Economic Observer

Puri added that Pakistan's representatives would do well to look inwards and prioritise the welfare of their own people rather than acting on military directives, ANI reported. The same remarks were carried by Khelja in its report of the exchange.

Source: Khelja

Minority rights a sovereign duty, Puri says

On minority issues, Puri stated that the protection of minority rights is primarily the sovereign duty of states, guided by the principle of sovereign equality, according to ANI. He pointed out that India's civilisational ethos of diversity is reflected in its constitutional safeguards for both religious and linguistic minorities, and underlined that minorities have contributed immensely to India's national development, including at the highest levels of government and key institutions.

Pakistan has previously rejected India's position in the same committee, maintaining that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognised disputed territory whose final status should be determined in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions — a position India does not accept. The latest exchange came two days after a separate Indian intervention on October 23, in which First Secretary Bhavika Mangalanandan questioned Pakistan's record on religious minorities during a dialogue on freedom of religion or belief.