India unleashes double diplomatic strike on Pakistan over Gilgit-Baltistan polls, UN rants

The Narendra Modi government on Friday (June 5) slammed Pakistan over its plans to hold general elections in its occupied Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on Sunday (June 7). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement the same day, saying, “The Government of India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan regarding the latter’s plans to hold “General Elections” to the so-called “Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly”, in the Indian territories illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan, scheduled for 7 June 2026.”

Meanwhile, far away in the United Nations, too, the Indian envoy flayed Islamabad over its "unwarranted reference" to Jammu and Kashmir at the global body.

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Slamming the elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the MEA reaffirmed New Delhi’s longstanding position on Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, saying they are “integral and inalienable parts of the country, by virtue of the complete, legal and irrevocable accession of Jammu & Kashmir in 1947”.

The government further stressed that such moves by Pakistan cannot paper over the real issues at hand — grave human rights violations, political repression, economic exploitation, and the denial of basic freedoms in territories that remain under illegal Pakistani occupation.

India rejects Pak attempts for 'material change'

It also rejected any efforts made by Islamabad to make “material change” to areas that are under the Pakistani occupation and wanted it to vacate them.

“The Government of India categorically rejects any attempts by Pakistan to bring material change to areas under Pakistan’s illegal occupation, and underlines that such actions cannot hide the fact that Pakistan illegally remains in possession of Indian territories, which it must vacate,” the MEA said in the statement.

Pakistan also reacted, saying India's remarks were "baseless" and part of a “carefully choreographed attempt to conflate fact with fiction”, the country's media reported.

Elections are being held in Gilgit-Baltistan after a four-month delay due to harsh winter conditions.

Indian envoy in UN blasts Pakistan

India also lashed out at its neighbour at the United Nations the same day, criticising its “unwarranted reference” to Jammu and Kashmir at the world body, telling Pakistan, which is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, that it was a huge responsibility and not a platform for peddling “biased and false narratives”.

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Expressing India’s stance at the UN General Assembly Plenary on Annual Report of the Security Council, India’s Permanent Representative to the global organisation, Parvathaneni Harish, said, “The unwarranted reference by Pakistan to a matter strictly internal to India, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, has compelled me to respond.”

VIDEO | New York: Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish (@AmbHarishP) delivered India's statement at the UN General Assembly Plenary on Annual Report of the Security Council.

"The unwarranted reference by Pakistan to a matter strictly… pic.twitter.com/DIeJR1GlfD

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 6, 2026

The retort came after his Pakistani counterpart, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in his remarks at the UN General Assembly earlier that same day on the 'Annual Report of the Security Council'.

Harish said in the UNGA hall that Pakistan has decided not to spare this forum either from their characteristic misuse of august UN platforms for their divisive political interests.

'Pak abusing its presence in SC'

“Abuse of its presence on the Security Council by Pakistan, including through the circulation of several misinformed and misleading communications, also testifies to this counter-productive approach. I would like to remind Pakistan that being a member of the UN Security Council is a huge responsibility. It is not a forum for peddling biased and false narratives,” Harish said.

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Making it clear that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India, he said, “Empty rhetoric and hollow claims by Pakistan would not change this fundamental reality. In the interest of time of the wider UN membership, I would not delve any further into this.”

In May, Harish launched a scathing attack on Pakistan's dubious record of genocide on the UN Security Council floor. Addressing the Annual UNSC Open Debate on the ‘protection of civilians in armed conflict’, the diplomat said Pakistan's inhumane conduct reflects decades of attempts to export its internal failures through acts of violence — both within its own borders and beyond.

(With agency inputs)