Pakistan’s UN envoy calls India’s democracy claim ‘hollow’ under RSS-BJP rule Pakistan strongly criticized India at the United Nations, accusing New Delhi of spreading “recycled distortions” about Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Speaking at the UN’s 4th Committee Meeting on Decolonisation, Asif Khan from Pakistan’s Permanent Mission said India’s attempts to mislead the world about the situation in Kashmir cannot hide the truth of its occupation and human rights violations.
“I must respond to the false remarks made by the Indian representative. Every year, India repeats the same script of lies — today is no different,” Khan said.
He stated that the UN not only has the right but also the duty to discuss the Kashmir dispute, which “has never been an integral part of India.” He emphasized that the region remains “an internationally recognized disputed territory” whose final status must be decided through a “free and fair plebiscite” under UN supervision.
Khan reminded the committee that India itself brought the issue before the UN but now refuses to respect its commitments under international law and the UN Charter.
Referring to the 1960 Declaration, he said it guarantees all people under foreign occupation the right to self-determination, a principle enshrined in the UN Charter and key international agreements.
Highlighting the heavy military presence in the region, Khan said India maintains “one of the world’s largest military occupations” in IIOJK, with nearly 900,000 troops deployed against unarmed civilians.
He accused India of labeling the Kashmiri freedom struggle as terrorism while ignoring the real causes of resistance in the occupied region.
Khan cited India’s refusal to implement UN Security Council resolutions, along with extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, mass detentions, sexual violence, and demographic changes, as driving forces behind the indigenous movement for freedom.
He said India’s “settler-colonial project” has intensified since August 2019, violating the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Khan also accused India of trying to divert attention from its “state terrorism” and “extraterritorial assassinations,” calling it the main sponsor of terrorism in the region. He alleged that India funds and directs militant groups such as the TTP, BLA, and Majeed Brigade, responsible for attacks killing thousands of civilians in Pakistan.
Calling India’s claim of being the world’s largest democracy “hollow,” Khan said the country has instead become “the world’s largest producer of disinformation and intolerance.” He said the ruling RSS-BJP ideology has institutionalized Islamophobia and turned minority persecution into state policy, citing reports from global human rights organizations.
Warning of rising regional tensions, Khan said India’s “reckless actions” have endangered peace, referring to recent aggression against Pakistan targeting civilians, including women and children.
“Pakistan acted in self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter,” he said, adding that India suffered significant losses, including the downing of multiple aircraft.
Khan concluded that India’s “denials and distortions cannot change the reality — Jammu and Kashmir remains a disputed territory.”
“The people of IIOJK have waited more than seven decades for their UN-promised right to self-determination,” he said. “Pakistan will continue to expose India’s hypocrisy, oppose its state terrorism, and support the Kashmiri people’s just struggle for justice, dignity, and freedom.”
