Pak raises Kashmir at UN committee; India reacts strongly

Betwa Sharma

United Nations, Oct 11 (PTI) Pakistan has raised the
Kashmir issue at a UN committee saying the "decolonisation
agenda" of the world body would be incomplete without
resolution of the problem, drawing a strong reaction from
India which asserted that the state is its integral part.

Speaking at a special committee of the General Assembly
that addresses the issue of decolonisation, Amjad Hussain B
Sial, Pakistan's deputy permanent representative to the UN,
asked the international community to support the Kashmiri
people's "right to self-determination".

"The decolonisation agenda of the United Nations would be
incomplete without resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue,"
he said.

"Negation of the right to self-determination breeds
discontent, ignites conflicts and threatens peace and
security. Unfortunately, South Asia and Middle East have
witnessed it directly," Sial said.

Countering the claims made by Sial, senior Indian
diplomat Anupam Ray, exercising his 'right to reply', said
that Kashmir is an integral part of India.

"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and
participates in the democratic process of India," Ray said.

The Indian side maintained that Kashmir remained a
bilateral issue."It has always been a bilateral issue and
should not be addressed in multilateral fora," Ray noted.
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