J-K was, is, shall forever remain integral part of India: India at UNHRC

Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and shall forever remain an integral part of India, senior Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup said at the UNHRC meeting here on Wednesday, adding the situation in the region is "quite normal despite Pakistan's best efforts over decades to destabilise it through externally-instigated terror."

"Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and shall forever remain an integral part of India. The transformative changes brought by our Parliament in last August were meant to strengthen the integration of the state, including to give full play to representative government from the grassroots level upward," said Swarup, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs. Swarup's remarks came a day after the Pakistani delegation at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) raised the Kashmir issue -- the subject of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan since the revocation of Article 370 of the Constitution that scrapped the region of its special status. He said: "It was intended to ensure the extension of all progressive legislation passed for the entire country to cover this region, and to resume the pace of socio-economic development in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir."

"Indeed, these measures are already showing positive results, despite Pakistan's best efforts over decades to destabilise the state through externally-instigated terror and a campaign of canards and untruth, the situation on the ground is quite normal," he added.

Swarup noted that most temporary restrictions imposed "to ensure solely the safety of people from Pakistani-trained terrorist attacks" -- following the revocation of Article 370 -- have been removed.

"Political processes have resumed, telecom facilities have largely been restored, developmental activities are being undertaken at a rapid pace, and there is access for all to education, and healthcare," he said.

"These have been achieved despite Pakistan's attempts to promote, both, violence within our territory, with an 81 per cent increase in infiltration attempts since last August and disinformation outside," added Swarup. (ANI)