GENEVA/NEW DELHI: Describing Pakistan as world's leading exporter of terror, the government on Wednesday said Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall forever" remain an integral part of India. This followed Pakistan's call for intervention by the international community on the Kashmir issue.

Speaking at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council which is being held in Switzerland from February 24 to March 20, Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West), described Pakistan as the "epicentre of global terrorism".

"Jammu and Kashmir was, is and shall forever remain an integral part of India," Swarup asserted a day after Pakistan’s minister for human rights Shireen Mazari alleged that India continues to violate the human rights of the Kashmiri people and demanded immediate repeal of all actions by India taken on August 5 last year.

India abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5 and bifurcated it into two Union Territories.

Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue but India has asserted that dilution of Article 370 was its "internal matter". New Delhi has also asked Islamabad to accept the reality and stop its anti-India rhetoric.

Swarup said the transformative changes "wrought by our Parliament last August were meant to strengthen the integration of the state... It was intended to ensure extension of all progressive legislations 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."

Despite Pakistan’s best efforts over decades to destabilise J&K through externally-instigated terror and a campaign of canards and untruth, the situation on the ground is quite normal, he said.

"Most temporary restrictions - imposed solely to ensure safety of the people from Pakistan-trained terrorist attacks - have already been removed, political processes have resumed, telecom facilities have been largely restored, developmental activities are being undertaken at a rapid pace and there is access for all to education and healthcare," Swarup added.

He said schools, colleges and universities have resumed and regular examinations are being held. Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies are well-stocked and staffing is at full capacity.