India slammed Pakistan on Tuesday after its foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at a Security Council debate on women, peace and security.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj termed his statement as “baseless and politically motivated”. She said it was “unworthy” to even respond to such “malicious and false propaganda”.
“Rather, our focus is where it shall always be – positive and forward-looking. Today’s discussion is critically important to strengthen our collective efforts to accelerate the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. We respect the topic of the debate and recognise the importance of time. As such, our focus shall remain on the topic,” she said.
Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Zardari referred to Jammu and Kashmir in his remarks to the Council debate held under Mozambique’s Presidency for this month, on the eve of International Women’s Day.
India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan, while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment that is free of terror and hostility for such an engagement.
The relations between two countries deteriorated after India in August 2019 announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated of the erstwhile state into Union Territories.
