India consistent violator of UNSC resolutions: FO

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday terming India a “consistent violator of United Nations Security Council resolutions on Kashmir dispute” said the country must be held accountable rather than facilitated, following its election to the UNSC forum.

“Indian actions in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and beyond are fundamental negation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. India is a consistent violator of the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu & Kashmir dispute,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said at a weekly press briefing, telecast live on national media.

The FO Spokesperson said “India must be asked to abide by the resolutions of the Security Council.”

She said India stood in flagrant violations of several resolution of the UNSC that prescribed the UN supervised plebiscites to enable the people of IOJK to exercise their fundamental right to self determination.

She mentioned India’s gross and systemic violations of the human rights in IOJK extensively documented by international human rights and humanitarian organizations as well as the Office of the Commissioner of Human Rights.

“India has incarcerated eight million Kashmiris including top Kashmiri leader with 900,000 occupation troops. The people of the IOJK have been suffering under inhuman lockdown and military siege for over 10 months following India’s illegal and unilateral action of August 5, 2019,” she remarked.

The spokesperson said despite ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the region had been turned into large prison and India had persistently defied the requests to allow international monitors to the IOJK.

She said while the world was grappled with the COVID pandemic, India was busy unabashedly advancing the RSS-BJP inspired extremist Hindutva ideology with the perpetuated human rights violations against minorities in in India particularly the Muslims.

She said India had routinely used aggression seeking to coerce its neighbors and had employed terrorism at one time or another as state policy to destabilize every neighboring state.

“India’s so called 5S approach in the UN Security Council is only a smoke screen to mask the arrogant, belligerent and confrontational side of India. Perhaps India will do well to consider another S that is Satya or truth – the truth of Indian oppression, aggression and occupation of Jammu and Kashmir which cannot be covered up by false espousals,” she remarked.

The spokesperson said Pakistan would continue to be working with the rest of the members of the Security Council in advancing the objectives of international peace and security in South Asia and beyond.

She also congratulated Turkish Ambassador as Volkan Bozkir of Turkey on his election as President of 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

On repatriation of stranded Pakistanis abroad in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, she said 82,462 Pakistani nationals had so far been brought home from 73 countries.

She mentioned that during last two weeks, 7,001 Pakistani citizens were repatriated from Dubai, 111 from Mauritius, 250 from Toronto, 119 from Amman, 556 from Jeddah, 2,004 from Riyadh, 140 from Dammam, 253 from Baghdad, 439 from Kyrgyzstan and 70 from Norway.

In her written response to the questions of journalists received through email and shared by the Foreign Office, the spokesperson categorically stated Pakistan’s position on the recent border tension between China and India.

“We believe that the clashes happened as China was negotiating with India to resolve the conflict peacefully and through agreed mechanisms,” she said.

The FO spokesperson said India’s belligerent policies and actions seeking to unilaterally change borders with neighbours continued to pose a threat to peace and security of the region.

To a question on China’s recently passed national security legislation on Hong Kong, she said Pakistan adhered to One-China policy with Hong Kong as its part, adding that it was important for China to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and protect the lives of its citizens.

“We reaffirm that matters related to Hong Kong are China’s internal affairs. We believe it is important to uphold international law and adhere to the basic norm of non-interference,” she said.

On statement of Indian Defence Minister threatening Pakistan, the spokesperson said Pakistan strongly condemned and categorically rejected such remarks about the situation in IOJ&K and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

“The Indian Defence Minister’s statement is another desperate attempt to divert attention from India’s state-terrorism and unacceptable human rights violations in IOJ&K. It is also designed to ramp up flailing support for the BJP through unabashed political opportunism and reckless disregard for the peace, stability and security of the region,” she said.

On border with Afghanistan, she said at present, both Torkham and Chaman border crossing points were open for trade, adding that “Pakistan lookd forward to the early resumption of normal bilateral trade to facilitate traders on both sides.”

On visit of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to Kabul on June 9, she said the two sides discussed “latest status of Afghan Peace Process” and “agreed to a dignified and time bound return of Afghan refugees”.