Jammu and Kashmir will remain an integral part: India tells Pak

Criticising Pakistan for using terrorism as "tool of state policy" to covet the Indian territory, India has firmly told Islamabad that Jammu and Kashmir will remain its integral part.

Senior Indian diplomat Srinivas Prasad said it was "well known" that Islamabad provides safe havens to terrorists.

In a reply to Pakistan's Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi who raised the Kashmir issue during a debate on Thursday, Prasad said Islamabad has used "terrorism as a tool of state policy" and was using the UN platform to "covet Indian territory".

"May I remind our neighbour that Jammu and Kashmir is and will remain an integral part of India. It is time that Pakistan too reconciles to this. As a democracy India always abides by the choice of the people and will not allow it to be undermined by terrorists and extremists.

India reiterates the principle of the need for promotion of peace through non-violence, a principle Gandhiji so eloquently expressed in his life message," Prasad said.

PTI