FM writes letter to UNSC president about grave situation in Kashmir

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written a letter to the President of the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary-General, apprising them about the continuing grave situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In his letter, the Foreign Minister underscored the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in IIOJK and the persistent threat to international peace and security posed by India’s provocative and irresponsible rhetoric as well as its track record of orchestrating ‘false flag’ operations.

He called for the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council which guarantee the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations.

The Foreign Minister in his letter has also drawn attention to the recent spate of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions in IIOJK. The Foreign Minister highlighted, in particular, the recent arrest on trumped-up charges of a renowned Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez, in complete disregard for basic human rights principles, norms and international law.

The Foreign Minister reiterated that Pakistan is prepared to engage constructively with a view to halting the oppression in IIOJK, avoiding conflict, and realizing a just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

The onus, however, is on India to create an environment conducive for engagement by reversing the unilateral and illegal measures instituted in IIOJK since 5 August 2019; stopping its oppression and human rights violations against the people of Jammu and Kashmir and halting and reversing the illegal demographic changes in the occupied territory.