J&K has been and will remain an integral part: India reiterates at 5WCSP

'Jammu and Kashmir has been and will remain an integral part of India. We call upon Pakistan to end cross-border Terrorism our overtures should not be taken as sign for weakness,' India said while responding to Pakistan National Assembly Speaker's observation at the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (5WCSP).

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 5WCSP, being organized jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Geneva, and the Parliament of Austria on August 19 and 20 with the support of the United Nations.

During the special event on 'Countering Terrorism and violent Extremism: The perspective of victims', India's reply said: 'India exercises its Right of Reply to statement by Pakistan, a country whose PM glorified dreaded terrorist 'Osama Bin Laden' a 'martyr' from its Parliament.'

UN Analytical Support Sanctions Monitoring Team mentions Pakistan as the leading exporter of terror with more than 6,000 nationals currently engaged in terrorism, India said.

'The international community should isolate Pakistan to increase the cost of engaging in terror activities. Pakistan's Prime Minister had admitted to nearly 40,000 militants on its soil.

'Pakistan's aggressions against J&K in 1965, 1971, 1999 (Kargil), attack on Mumbai and Parliament, Uri, Pulwama among others show Pakistan's State-sponsored policy of terrorism as evident in the inaction against likes of Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar and Ehsanullah Ehsan,' India said.

Birla attended the Conference being organised jointly by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Geneva and the Parliament of Austria on Wednesday also.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first time that an international Parliamentary Conference of such a magnitude is being organised in virtual mode. The second part of the Conference will be held next year in physical mode in Vienna, Austria.