'Pak. abuses self-rule concept to bolster agenda of territorial aggrandisement against India'

In UN, India points out that it is the world's largest democracy and free and fair elections are held regularly in Jammu and Kashmir.

Our citizens are repeatedly facing terror attacks by “proxies” of Pakistan, says counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India to UN Mayank Joshi.

India has told the United Nations that its citizens were repeatedly facing terror attacks by “proxies” of Pakistan, which continues to abuse the concept of self-determination to bolster “territorial aggrandisement” against it.

“Pakistan, whose own people have been deprived of their democratic rights for most of its history and which continues to illegally occupy a part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and rules it as a virtual colony, repeatedly indulges in the abuse of the concept of self-determination to bolster its agenda of territorial aggrandisement through terrorism against India,” counsellor in the Permanent Mission of India to the U.N., Mayank Joshi, told the General Assembly.

Strongly rejecting Pakistan’s “ritual propaganda” on the right to self-determination and the “baseless allegations” made by it, Mr. Joshi on Wednesday said India is the world’s largest democracy and free and fair elections are held regularly in Jammu and Kashmir.

India had repeatedly pointed out that Pakistan would serve its people better if it could introspect about the challenges faced by its society “instead of setting sights on territories of their neighbours in flagrant violation of all international norms of behaviour,” he said.

“By now the international community has seen through these misleading attempts by Pakistan. We, therefore, do not intend to engage any further on this issue.”

Mr. Joshi said escalation of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance continues to lead to gross violations of human rights of national, ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, and of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

Earlier, while raising the issue of Kashmir, Pakistan’s envoy to the U.N. Maleeha Lodhi said peace in South Asia cannot be achieved without “urgent” solution to the dispute.