India tells UN that Pakistan's 'so-called' civilian governments serve at the mercy of its Army

India used its Right of Reply at the United Nations on Saturday to accuse Pakistan’s civilian governments of serving “at the mercy” of the country’s Army, in a sharp exchange over Jammu and Kashmir.

First Secretary Bhavika Mangalanandan of India’s Permanent Mission to the UN was responding to remarks by Pakistan’s delegation at Friday’s UN General Assembly Third Committee meeting, where Islamabad raised the Kashmir issue.

“We all know that the so-called civilian governments in Pakistan serve at the mercy of their Army and rarely complete their terms,” Mangalanandan said. She added that a former prime minister — Imran Khan — “continues to remain in jail, even as his health is reported to be fast deteriorating,” and that his party has not been allowed to contest elections.

India “categorically” rejected Pakistan’s remarks, declaring that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “were, are and will always remain integral and inalienable” parts of India.

Mangalanandan accused Pakistan of “sponsoring, inciting, abetting, and financing cross-border terrorism” for more than three decades, saying: “The only outstanding matter is a vacation of the territory Pakistan holds under illegal and forcible occupation.”

She also accused Islamabad of trying to “mask the ongoing tragedy in Rawalakot and its other cities, the killing of hundreds of civilians, and the brutal crackdown across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, for merely demanding bread, electricity and human dignity.”

According to The Economic Times, India also pointed to its 2024 elections in Jammu and Kashmir and urged Islamabad to address its domestic and economic challenges.