Pakistan has complained to the UN Security Council, alleging that India is building a wall along the Line of Control
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif prepared to attend the UN General Assembly session on Friday, there was a war of words over Pakistan's complaint to the UN earlier this month.
New Delhi reacted sharply to
Pakistan's complaint to the UN Security Council, alleging that India was building a wall along the Line of Control in violation of UN resolutions.
Pakistan's Ambassador to UN Maleeha Lodhi has written two letters, which say India is planning to construct a 10-metre-high and 135-feet-wide embankment along the border. Pakistan alleges that the plan is to convert the wall into a "quasi-international border".
India said Pakistan's complaint was based on a "submission" made by terror group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.
"Pakistan has forwarded a representation from a globally recognized terrorist. Why should India waste time responding to Salahuddin's claims?" government sources told NDTV.
The sources said since 1965, Pakistan had written "hundreds of letters" to the UN Security Council, which has never paid heed to these letters.
"Let them keep trying," said sources.
PM Modi and Nawaz Sharif are both staying in New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel and will attend the UN General Assembly but a bilateral meeting between the two leaders has been ruled out by the Indian foreign ministry.
India has said it will reply if Mr Sharif raises Kashmir in his address at the UN.
"When a statement comes from him (on Kashmir), then we will reply," said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup.
A senior Pakistani diplomat had said that Mr Sharif would raise Kashmir at the General Assembly session and would offer several steps to reduce tension along the border.
Last year too, Mr Sharif had raised Kashmir in his UN speech, after which PM Modi protested to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
PM Modi and Nawaz Sharif met at Ufa in Russia in July but foreign secretary-level talks were cancelled after a disagreement over the agenda of talks.