India has hit out at Pakistan after the country’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar predictably raised the Kashmir bogey in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
In its right of reply, the First Secretary at United Nations for the Second Committee of UNGA, Petal Gahlot said that Pakistan should vacate occupied areas of India and stop cross-border terrorism. She asked Pakistan to stop human rights violations against minorities in Pakistan. Petal Gahlot said, “In order for there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pakistan needs to take are threefold first stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. And third stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan.” Indian diplomat reiterated that union territories of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh are integral parts of India and Pakistan has no “locus standi” to make statements regarding India’s domestic matters. “We reiterate that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. Matters pertaining to the UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are purely internal to India,” Petal Gahlot said. “Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our domestic matters. As a country with one of the world’s worst human rights records, particularly when it comes to minority and women’s rights, pakistan would do well to put its own house in order before venturing to point a finger at the world’s largest democracy,” she added.