Amidst escalating tensions between India and Pakistan over the killing of three policemen and a security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, India’s Ambassador to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin in a sharp rhetoric said the neighbouring country can be a “one trick pony” on Kashmir if it wants to.

“If somebody else would like to be a one trick pony, it is for them to regurgitate and act,” he said on being asked if Pakistan would raise the Kashmir issue at UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.

“Solo players in a multilateral context have neither a past nor a future” and get “no resonance in such matters”, he added.

“We have handled this act many times in past and are confident we will be able to do it again,” he further said.

Akbaruddin added, “Terror is a perennial threat and will be addressed in strong terms at multiple forums”.

India will be focusing on a multilateral agenda at the high-level UNGA session that begins on Tuesday.

The UN works best on the basis of multilateralism and “India’s positions based on partnerships get a great resonance”, he said.

Led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the UN session, India will focus on five topics: reformed multilateralism, climate change action, health, development, and peacekeeping.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that Islamabad would bring up Kashmir at the UNGA and give “unequivocal support to the cause”, Radio Pakistan has reported.

Qureshi has said that despite India’s reluctance, Islamabad would not close doors on its efforts to promote peace in the region.

“India is reluctant, we will not close our doors,” the Minister said while addressing a news conference at the Pakistan Embassy here on Sunday.

“Hiding away from issues will not make them disappear. It will not improve the situation in Kashmir,” Dawn online quoted Qureshi as saying.

The Minister said he was unable to understand India’s refusal to participate in peace talks with Pakistan.

“Engagement, no-engagement. Coming, not coming. We desired talks as we believe the sensible way is to meet and talk. They agreed, and then disagreed.”

He pointed out that India’s response to Pakistan’s peace offer was harsh and non-diplomatic.

“We did not use a non-diplomatic language in our rejoinder. Our response was matured and measured. They adopted a new approach, and moved back.”

He also said that Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s “language and tone was unbecoming of a foreign minister”, Dawn online reported.

Read | Arrogant response by India: Pak PM fumes over cancellation of foreign ministers’ meet

Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi in response to India’s decision to stay away from the peace dialogue,  saying he was “disappointed at the arrogant and negative response by India”.

New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the killing of security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir and accusing it of glorifying terrorism, in terms of releasing a postage stamp featuring Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani who was killed by Indian security forces last year.

Read | India calls off talks with Pakistan in New York, slams Imran Khan for terror

The cancellation of the foreign ministers’ meeting came within 24 hours of India announcing that it has accepted the Pakistan PM’s request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter for such a meeting.

Pakistan has been raising Kashmir at all UN forums, regardless of the topic of the meetings, but no other country has joined it in making it an issue or even talking about it.

(With agency inputs)