Strongly asserting that Kashmir has been and will always stay an integral part of the country, India on Thursday dismissed Pakistan bringing up the dispute over the region at multiple United Nations forums. Exercising the Right of Reply to respond to comments by Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, India called the issues raised about Kashmir "totally out of context", which constitute a "clear interference" in its internal affairs.

Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's envoy to the UN, had earlier raised the issue of Kashmir during a UN General Assembly session. She said that deliberations with Kashmiris, who form an integral part of the dispute, are essential to arriving at a peaceful solution to the long-standing conflict. "Calling for the termination of these consultations, as a precondition for dialogue, is unacceptable as well as counterproductive," she said in a pointed reference to India.

Rejecting Lodhi’s claims in entirety, Abhishek Singh, First Secretary in the Indian Mission to the UN, said that all India needs for constructive engagement is for Pakistan to give up terrorism and resume discussions. India’s envoy to the UN, Asoke Mukerji, also said that it is unfortunate that Lodhi had chosen to refer to issues that are extraneous to the current debate.