UNITED NATIONS, Sept 30 Pakistan asked India on Wednesday to stop its state-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir, as the two neighbours sparred in a verbal tit-for-tat in the UN General Assembly.

“India is also the country which conceived, created and nurtured the most lethal terrorist organisation, which introduced suicide bombings in our region,” charged Pakistan's Deputy Ambassador Amjad Hussain Sial, responding to the speech by Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in which he had accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism.

In a clear reference to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the

Pakistani deputy permanent representative told the 192-member assembly that India also supported terrorist elements in neighbouring countries that created problems in the region.

“Still India has the nerve to give lectures on morality to others,” Mr Sial said in a sharp rebuttal to Mr Krishna's claim that Kashmir was the target of “Pakistan-sponsored militancy and terrorism”.

Indian delegate Manish Gupta also exercised his right of reply, but did not specifically addressed Pakistan's statement about India's role in creating the terrorist outfit.

Referring to Mr Krishna's “self-serving claim” that Jammu and Kashmir was part of India, the Pakistani delegate said nothing was farther from the truth.

The disputed territory was on the agenda of the United Nations, which had passed resolutions to that effect.

The first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, had also made commitments — reaffirmation of which Pakistan welcomed — noting that Kashmir was not the property of either India or Pakistan, but belonged to the Kashmiri people.

He went on to say that India had failed to fulfil its commitments, but still had the guts not only to claim democratic credentials, but also to aspire to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Pakistan had only echoed non-governmental organ- isations and the media as to the ongoing situation concerning human rights in India as well as Kashmir, he said.