India has strongly hit back at Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), accusing it of using cross-border terrorism as an "instrument of State policy".

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, asserted that Jammu and Kashmir "has always been, is, and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India" and said the only outstanding issue is Pakistan's "illegal occupation" of Indian territory.

Addressing the High-Level Open Debate of the UN Security Council on Natural Resources Governance: the Foundation of Peace, Security and Prosperity in New York on Wednesday (US local time), Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish slammed Pakistan for "misusing" a high-level debate to "peddle its false narrative".

During the debate, the Indian envoy said, "It was not our intention to bring other issues in this forum, but my delegation is compelled to respond to Pakistan, as it has chosen to misuse today's discussion to peddle its false narrative."

"For the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, it has always been, is, and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India. This is the constitutional and legal reality that Pakistan deliberately chooses to ignore," he remarked.

Harish further said, "The only outstanding issue with regard to Jammu and Kashmir is the naked aggression and illegal occupation of India's sovereign territory by Pakistan."

Speaking about the Indus Water Treaty, Ambassador Harish doubled down on Islamabad for using cross-border terrorism as an "instrument of State policy".

"Our position on the Indus Water Treaty remains clear and consistent. Cooperation on the basis of mutual trust and goodwill cannot be expected when cross-border terrorism is regularly deployed as an instrument of State policy," he said.

In his remarks, Harish asked Islamabad to solve its own internal problems before judging others. "Instead of pointing fingers at India, Pakistan would serve itself and its people far better by putting its own house in order," he concluded.