India hit back at Pakistan at the 146th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Bahrain after the neighbouring country raised the Jammu and Kashmir issue.
In India’s right to reply after a Pakistani delegate referred to J&K, Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra said, ”The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. No amount of rhetoric and propaganda from any country can override this fact. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on India’s internal affairs.”
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He said India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to vacate the Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation with immediate effect. “It is ironic that a country, which is a known exporter of terrorists and responsible for inflicting countless cross-border terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, is claiming to champion the cause of human rights,” he added.
The Indian delegate said, ”It is unfortunate that Pakistan has chosen once again to misuse the august platform by mentioning in their statement about Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral part of India. This mention is completely unacceptable.”
Pakistan has repeatedly raised J&K at various international fora for years. It has intensified its campaign against New Delhi after India scrapped in August 2019 article 370 of the Constitution, stripping J & K of its special status. However, there are no takers for the Pakistani ”cause” in the international community.
India has already made it clear to Pakistan from time to time that bilateral relations could never become normal until Islamabad stopped exporting terror to India and stopped interfering in this country’s internal affairs.