India and Pakistan engaged in a heated exchange at the United Nations General Assembly following comments made by Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, who likened the people of Kashmir to Palestinians. Kashmir has long been a point of contention between India and Pakistan, with both nations asserting their claim over the region despite controlling only parts of it. In a speech, Mr Sharif asserted that the people of Kashmir have been fighting for “freedom and right to self-determination” for a century, drawing parallels with the struggles of Palestinians.
He criticised India for not honouring its commitments to implement Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir and called on India to reverse the “unilateral and illegal measures” taken five years ago. Mr Sharif highlighted the need for India to engage in dialogue for a peaceful resolution in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had revoked the semi-autonomous status of the Muslim-majority region, downgrading it to a federally governed territory. The region was further divided into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, with direct rule from New Delhi. In response to Sharif’s accusations of extra-judicial killings and draconian measures in the region, India’s representative at the UN termed the speech a “travesty”.
The first secretary in India’s permanent mission to the UN, Bhavika Mangalanandan, accused Pakistan of using cross-border terrorism against its neighbours and labelled their remarks as hypocritical. Pakistan has consistently brought up the Kashmir issue at the UN, prompting responses from India. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan notably refrained from mentioning Kashmir in his UN speech, marking a departure from previous years.
India and Pakistan’s ongoing clash over Kashmir underscores the deep-rooted animosity between the two nations on the international stage. As tensions persist, the plight of Kashmiris remains unresolved amidst political rhetoric and accusations from both sides.