--- description: Diplomatic tensions are high after a militant attack on an Indian army base left 18 soldiers dead title: India, Pakistan Trade Barbs Over Kashmir at the U.N. image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f7b6000376abb66/6988a70ebc6cfc84fc3deaa5/gettyimages-609521492.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Kashmir](/tag/kashmir/) ## Kashmir Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # India and Pakistan's Verbal Battle Over the Kashmir Attack Goes to the U.N. by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 22, 2016 6:20 AM CUT  Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2016, in New York City Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif addresses the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2016, in New York CitySpencer Platt—Getty Images by [Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 22, 2016 6:20 AM CUT Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif dedicated the bulk of his [speech](http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=55009&Cr=general%20debate&Cr1=#.V-NJCtB9461 "undefined") at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday to addressing an increasingly hostile dispute with India over Kashmir, furthering the war of words between the two countries following a militant attack on one of the region’s Indian army bases. “Peace and normalization between Pakistan and India cannot be achieved without a resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” Sharif said, adding that peace talks are “no favor to Pakistan” and are “in the interest of both countries.” He also urged “an independent inquiry into the extrajudicial killings, and a U.N. fact-finding mission” to investigate what he called “brutalities” against the Kashmiri people by Indian armed forces in the region. India responded to Sharif’s statements by [condemning](https://twitter.com/AkbaruddinIndia/status/778762779163590656 "undefined") Pakistan, [yet again](http://time.com/4498891/kashmir-uri-attack-india-pakistan-military-conflict/ "undefined"), as a “terrorist state,” with Indian U.N. representative Eenam Gambhir labeling it the “Ivy League of terrorism.” “The worst violation of human rights is terrorism,” Gambhir said. “When practiced as an instrument of state policy, it is a war crime.” Indian government officials also [pointed out](https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/778660190312738817 "undefined") that Sharif did not mention Sunday’s [attack](http://time.com/4498891/kashmir-uri-attack-india-pakistan-military-conflict/ "undefined") near Uri, in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir, which left 18 soldiers dead. Pakistan previously denounced what it says are “baseless and irresponsible” accusations of its involvement, and asked India for “actionable intelligence.” Kashmir has been a thorn in the two neighbors’ relationship for almost seven decades, with three of their four wars since gaining independence in 1947 fought over the mountainous territory that both countries claim. The simmering dispute has escalated in recent weeks, with the death of a young Kashmiri separatist leader [sparking internal protests](http://time.com/4423531/kashmir-india-conflict-srinagar/ "undefined") that have left dozens dead from Indian police gunfire. The Uri attack is seen as the last straw, with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi under public pressure to respond in kind. However, after [being warned](http://time.com/4502320/india-pakistan-kashmir-uri-attack-response-loc/ "undefined") against reckless military retaliation by government and military officials (both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons), he appears to have opted for diplomatic censure instead. The region, however, remains fraught with emotion, with Indian broadcaster NDTV [reporting](http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-kashmir-hundreds-queue-up-to-join-the-army-amid-unrest-1464809 "undefined") that hundreds of young men signed up in an army recruitment drive in Kashmir three days after the attack. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4503748/india-pakistan-kashmir-un/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4503748/india-pakistan-kashmir-un/"},"headline":"India and Pakistan's Verbal Battle Over the Kashmir Attack Goes to the U.N.","datePublished":"2016-09-22T06:20:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T00:45:11.269Z","description":"Tensions are high after a fatal militant attack on an Indian army base","url":"https://time.com/4503748/india-pakistan-kashmir-un/","keywords":["Kashmir","Army","Pakistan","India","Narendra Modi","UN"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f7b6000376abb66/6988a70ebc6cfc84fc3deaa5/gettyimages-609521492.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1f7b6000376abb66/6988a70ebc6cfc84fc3deaa5/gettyimages-609521492.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"World Leaders Gather In New York For Annual United Nations General Assembly","caption":"World Leaders Gather In New York For Annual United Nations General Assembly","creditText":"Spencer Platt—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/kashmir/","name":"Kashmir"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4503748/india-pakistan-kashmir-un/","name":"India and Pakistan's Verbal Battle Over the Kashmir Attack Goes to the U.N."}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"17 Soldiers Killed in Attack at Indian Army Base in Kashmir","description":"Suspected rebels using guns and grenades sneaked into a crucial army base in Indian-controlled Kashmir early Sunday and killed at least 17 soldiers in the deadliest attack on a military base in the disputed Himalayan region in recent years.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/DTLNgIV1/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-09-19T03:37:11.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/DTLNgIV1.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4503748/india-pakistan-kashmir-un/","duration":"PT1M2S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4503748/india-pakistan-kashmir-un/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```