India criticised Pakistan for raising Jammu and Kashmir at an informal UN Security Council meeting, calling the remarks "unwarranted" and politically motivated.
India's UN envoy Parvathaneni Harish reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter and rejected any external interference.
India also called for a review of outdated UN Security Council mandates and renewed its push for reforms to make the body more representative.
India on Tuesday strongly criticised Pakistan for raising the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during an informal UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting, asserting that the Union Territory is "strictly internal" to India and accusing Islamabad of politicising the forum.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, made the remarks during an Arria-formula meeting on 'Bridging the Implementation Gap: Security Council Resolutions and the Maintenance of International Peace and Security', organised by the Permanent Missions of Pakistan and China.
"I also refer to the unwarranted remarks made by the representative of Pakistan. It is incredible that a co-chair expected to be balanced and unbiased in conduct has chosen to politicise this forum," Harish said.
"I would only like to stress, for brevity of time, that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is a matter strictly internal to India. It has always been, is, and will remain so," he added.
Pakistan Raised Kashmir Issue
Harish's response came after Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue during his intervention.
India’s stand has been to consistently maintain that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of the country, while rejecting any third-party mediation on the issue.
India Calls for Review of UN Mandates
Speaking on the broader agenda of the meeting, Harish said the UN Charter provides distinct mechanisms under Chapters VI and VII for addressing conflicts and that mediation frameworks should be reviewed in line with changing geopolitical realities.
He argued that Chapter VI mechanisms, including negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration, are designed to address specific circumstances and should not be treated as having perpetual validity.
Citing the Palestine issue as an example, Harish said there was an "undeniable case" for reviewing outdated mediation frameworks to reflect evolving ground realities.
India also said that as member states review UN General Assembly mandates under the UN80 initiative, there was no reason Security Council mandates should remain outside the scope of such reviews.
Push For UNSC Reforms
India reiterated its long-standing demand for permanent membership in a reformed and expanded UNSC, arguing that the current structure no longer reflects contemporary global realities.
New Delhi's bid for permanent membership has received support from several countries, including the other members of the G4 grouping—Brazil, Germany and Japan—as well as a number of European nations including France which itself is a permanent member of the body.
