ISLAMABAD – Pakistan says India’s election as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) raises questions, as Indian actions in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K) and beyond are fundamental negation of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
In the televised opening statement of the weekly news briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said we congratulate Ireland, Norway and Mexico on their election to the UN Security Council. However, the election of India raises fundamental questions.
She said India is a consistent violator of the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Rather than felicitated, a country with such credentials must be held accountable. India must be asked to abide by the resolutions of the Security Council.
The Spokesperson said Pakistan will be working with rest of the members of the Security Council in advancing the objectives of international peace and security in South Asia and beyond.
Aisha Farooqui said India stands in flagrant violation of several resolutions of the Security Council that prescribed an UN-supervised plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination.
She said India has incarcerated 8 million Kashmiris, including top Kashmiri leadership, with 900,000 occupation troops.
She said the people of occupied Kashmir have been suffering under inhuman lockdown and military siege for over 10 months, following India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019.
She said the entire region has been turned into a large prison, with unprecedented restrictions which continue despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. She said India has persistently defied requests to allow international monitors in occupied Kashmir.
The Spokesperson said Indian actions aimed at illegally altering the demographic structure of occupied Kashmir are violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and international law, in particular the 4th Geneva Convention.
She said while the world is grappling with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, India is busy, unabashedly; advancing RSS-BJP inspired extremist ‘Hindutva’ ideology.
Over and above, she said, the current Indian leadership has perpetuated massive violations of human rights against its minorities, in particular Muslims, threatening them with statelessness.
The Spokesperson said Pakistan strongly condemns the latest attempt by Houthi militia to target civilians in Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia.
She said Pakistan reaffirms its full support and solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against any threats to its security and territorial integrity.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui has said India’s belligerent policies and actions seeking to unilaterally change borders with neighbours continue to pose a threat to peace and security of the region.
She was responding to a question, received via email, regarding Pakistan’s reaction over developments in Ladakh, particularly the recent exchange of fire between China and India which resulted in causalities.
The Spokesperson said Indian designs can undermine the efforts aimed at promoting stability and development in the region. She said Pakistan believes that the clashes happened as China was negotiating with India to resolve the conflict peacefully and through agreed mechanisms.
Answering another question, Aisha Farooqui said Pakistan has strongly condemned and categorically rejected Indian Defence Minister’s remarks about the situation in Occupied Kashmir and Azad Kashmir. She said the statement is another manifestation of the BJP government’s delusions about AJK and incurable obsession with Pakistan. She said the Indian Defence Minister’s statement is another desperate attempt to divert attention from India’s state-terrorism and unacceptable human rights violations in Occupied Kashmir. 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.
Replying to a question, the Spokesperson said both Torkham and Chaman border crossing points are open for trade with Afghanistan. She said following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan-Afghanistan border was sealed. She said at the request of the Afghan government and on humanitarian considerations, Pakistan re-opened its border with Afghanistan to facilitate trade.
