Most UNSC members’ concerned at situation in IOK: China

[Shahzaz ud din]

Most UNSC members’ concerned at situation in IOK: China
By News Desk
Published: January 17, 2020
TWEET EMAIL

A Reuters file photo of a UNSC meeting.

China has said that “most members” of the UN Security Council (UNSC) have voiced concerns at the situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K), which remains under siege since the illegal revocation of its semi-autonomous constitutional status by the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August last year.

A closed-door meeting of the 15-member powerful council on Wednesday took up for discussion for a second time since August 5 the situation in IOJ&K at the request of China – much to the chagrin of India. Pakistan has welcomed the move which, it says, shows the chronic dispute remains on the global body’s agenda.

“China’s position [on Kashmir dispute] is consistent and clear. This issue is a dispute left from history and should be properly resolved following the UN Charter, UNSC resolutions, and bilateral treaties and in a peaceful way,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a media briefing in Beijing.
Almost all major news outlets of India covered the media was arranged for Indian media where aggressive media persons unleashed a barrage of questions about China’s official position on IOJ&K.

“As requested by Pakistan, the Security Council reviewed the Kashmir issue on January 15. The Security Council members are concerned about the current situation and they called the relevant parties to observe the charter and resolve disputes peacefully, through political dialogue and exercise restraint and work on de-escalation,” The Press Trust of India quoted Geng as saying.

Though the council did not officially reveal what transpired in the closed-door meeting on IOJ&K, China shared details of the review with the media. The Indian media persons questioned that saying no other member of the council has said anything about the meeting.
“Indeed the UNSC reviewed the Kashmir issue on January 15 and there was no statement. But China as a permanent member participated in the review meeting and what I said was in line with the review. But if you think this is not true, then you can look at other sources,” the spokesperson said.

In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar claimed at a news briefing that the overwhelming majority of the UNSC was of view that it was not the right forum for such issues.
Asked about Kumar’s claim, Geng said: “India’s attitude and views, we understand them. But what I said was China’s views and stance. I believe that India is aware of that and we have been in contact on that.”

To a question on why China is raising the Kashmir issue at the UNSC, when the top leaders of India and China made efforts to improve relations through informal summits, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said, “Because we want to work for de-escalation and work for regional peace and stability. This is out of goodwill. However, if the Indian side interprets it in other way, that will be a wrong interpretation.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an interview with Germany’s public broadcaster, regretted on Thursday that the international community was paying little attention to the Kashmir conflict.

“The silence of world on Kashmir is due to commercial interests because India is a big market,” he told DW TV. In the strategic Western mind, India is supposed to be a counterbalance to China. “Therefore, you see a completely different approach…,” he added.

‘UNSC sessions on Kashmir conflict major diplomatic achievement for Pakistan’

Responding to a question that the Russian envoy in India has said that the Kashmir issue should be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan, he said during the review most UNSC members expressed concern on the current situation in Kashmir and called for restraint and de-escalation of tensions through dialogue. “Russia is a member of the UNSC and its position has been fully expressed during the review,” he said.

Asked about presumed change in China’s position vis-à-vis Kashmir, Geng said Beijing’s position on Kashmir is very clear. “We haven’t changed our position. The issue between India and Pakistan has always been on the UNSC agenda.

The UNSC should pay attention to the issue in Kashmir based on the latest developments. And in this region, there are still International Observer Groups and it has always been on UNSC agenda,” he said.

About India’s decision to invite Pakistan’s prime minister in a meeting of the heads of the governments of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries, Geng said, “The SCO is a regional cooperation organisation.

India and Pakistan are members of it. Both the countries, we hope, can work together closely under this framework for the healthy development of this organisation.”

“India and Pakistan are important countries in South Asia and I hope they can resolve their issues through dialogue and improve their relations,” he added.

Geng reiterated that Beijing stood for enhancing dialogue and mutual trust between India and Pakistan and exercise restraint and work for de-escalation of tensions. “As a responsible country, we have been in contact with both India and Pakistan, and are playing a constructive role on this,” he said.


Read more: China , Hindu nationalist government , International Observer Groups

 

[Shahzaz ud din]

UNSC acknowledges situation in IOK is grave, says Akram
By Rizwan Shehzad
Published: January 18, 2020
TWEET EMAIL

PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram has dismissed Indian claims that New Delhi has successfully scuttled efforts by Beijing and Islamabad to raise the longstanding Kashmir dispute before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

In an exclusive interview with the Express News programme The Review, Akram said the UNSC on January 15 not only discussed the Kashmir issue but all members also acknowledged that the human rights situation in the scenic Himalayan region is grave.

Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) has been under an interrupted curfew since August 5, 2019 when India unilaterally stripped the disputed territory of its special status by revoking Article 370 of its constitution.


The ambassador said contrary to the Indian propaganda the world has realized the importance of Kashmir issue after a detailed briefing by the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) during the session.

“India always tries to present distorted facts but this time around they were caught,” Akram said.

He said all the facts, including ongoing curfew in the IOK, human rights violation there and closure of internet and other services, were also discussed during the UNSC meeting. “Political situation in India is at a stage where they can’t even afford to allow international or local media to go in Kashmir.”

Akram said Pakistan has continually highlighted the human right situation in the IOK and the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has written letters to UN officials over situation in Kashmir.

When India continued its oppressive policy, he said, Pakistan requested the UN to convene a second meeting of the UNSC, which was immediately accepted by the UNSC president.

“This was the second UNSC meeting in less than six months to discuss the alarming human rights situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir. China has played a key role in convening the meeting.

“In the meeting, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and the head of the military operations briefed the members on the political and human rights situation in Kashmir and the current situation at the Line of Control (LoC).

“They briefed the council about the measures the Indian government has taken and how tensions have increased. Both the observers have quoted the UN’s reports on human rights violations to highlight the situation in the valley,” he said.

Currently, the observers said, Pakistan is cooperating while India has not cooperated at all. Once they briefed the council, Akram revealed, all 15 members spoke on the issues highlighted and “several members expressed sympathy with us [Pakistan]” after analyzing Pakistan’s position in the matter.

The United States and Germany were of the view that the issue should be solved bilaterally but on the human rights situation, he said, “all the council members admitted that situation is grave in Kashmir. Even those who say that Kashmir is a bilateral issue expressed that current situation is bad and tense.”

Preventive diplomacy takes place when an issue is brought before the Security Council, he said, adding that India is under pressure to take corrective measures and ensure that situation does not deteriorate further. “The international community is not in agreement with Indian threats that they issue every now and then,” he said.

It is established now that the Kashmir issue is an international dispute and not a bilateral issue, he said, adding that all the countries that consider Kashmir a bilateral issue are of the opinion now that it’s an international dispute and should be resolved. “India’s claim that it’s an internal issue is over now.”

The seasoned diplomat, who has earlier represented Pakistan at the UN, said he himself met thrice with all 15 members before the UNSC meeting and explained the whole situation to them.

To the question that the US and Germany still consider it a bilateral issue, he said, America’s position is because of its strategic partnership with India.

To the question if Pakistan should use its leverage in Afghanistan to get some favour from the US on Kashmir, Akram said the US has not put any hindrance to convening the UNSC meeting even though its official stance is that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.

“We are using the leverage,” he admitted, saying the majority of the Security Council was with Pakistan on Kashmir issue.

For the last 70 years, he said, Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue is the same: implement the UNSC’s resolution of plebiscite for self-determination.

Currently, he said, India has taken unilateral measures by removing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that needed to be reversed. For its reversal, Pakistan has exerted diplomatic pressure at international forums as well as in UNSC and the UN General Assembly.

“Revoking of Article 370 is fraud and the UNSC has never accepted such measures,” he said, adding that “the UNSC’s position has been that the unilateral measure taken by any of the parties is null and void.”

To the question if Pakistan should support the armed struggle in Kashmir and if such a move was permitted under UN charter, the diplomat said the Kashmiris have the complete right to do so.

“All the UN resolutions and international law recognize that the people under foreign occupation have the right to struggle by all means possible for self-determination. They have this legal right. What Pakistan can do is another matter.”

He said Pakistan will have to first see what kind of resistance Kashmiris pose to the Indian authorities.

Kashmiri people would require world support when the lockdown is lifted, he said, adding that Pakistan is creating the atmosphere for that time.

In addition, if India is willing to reverse its measures, review its policies and if they reverse their repression, then Pakistan should definitely explore the option of negotiations.

“I think the situation at the moment is not positive,” he said.

He said currently, India is not ready to talk and keeping India’s internal and Kashmir situation in mind, Pakistan should keep minimum hopes of formal talks. “Officially, Pakistan’s position is to avoid any conflict and prevent any misadventure such as the one India did last February,” he said.




Read more: india , Latest , LoC

 

[Umair Nawaz]

Excellent! as a Kashmiri myself whose forefather fought for the liberation of Kashmir in 1948 war, there is simply no solution what so ever now about Kashmir which is the main core issue hindering the peace and regional connectivity in South Asia or whatever which BTW isnt and has never been our core interest but was rather a compromise from our end to accomodate what is a Hostile enemy of Pakistan and whose economical rise itself is a grave concern for Pakistan itself!

Giving hosting rights of Such organization such as SCO in post 27 feb. 2019 scenario and after its unilateral annexation of Kashmir is in itself an insult towards Pakistan by Russia itself whose citizen is heading this organization as of now and who refused to intervene into this matter when Pakistan officially complained to him about india attacking Pakistan even though its written in its charter that no host country can attack another.

Russia meanwhile has proven to be an indian vessel as well as its a European Country primarily not an Asian country that understands the wide dynamics of Asia and Asian mentality, future of the World is only Asia and China is best qualified to lead it through Road and Belt Initiative, Russia meanwhile must drop its concerns abt BRI and let it pass through Central Asia..............

Hence its adventures of its own time tested ally's appeasement r not welcome!

@BringHarmony now read this as well both my post and the thread!

 

[Myth_buster_1]

anybody know the whereabouts beloved ummah chummah please contact UN to let them know that they also exist.

 

[masterchief_mirza]

Well done Khan and Akram....yorkers from both ends for these whinging Indians.