Daily Times

China expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating situation in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) as it raised the issue in the United Nations Security Council and sought a detailed briefing by the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) on the disturbing developments there, diplomats said.

Diplomats said China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun told the 15-member council, which met behind closed doors, that he would again request the meeting when UNMOGIP was ready with its report on the situation in Kashmir. “I am not in a position to say anything more,” Ambassador Zhang told reporters when asked about his country move to seek a council meeting on Kashmir. “We all know that the Security Council has received a letter from the foreign minister of Pakistan. There have been Security Council discussions, and discussions are going on there.”

In his letter to the Security Council, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called upon the Security Council to take cognizance of the recent disturbing developments across LoC which constitute threat to peace and security.

These include: (i) more than 3000 ceasefire violations, targeting over 300 civilians including women and children, (ii) partial removal of the fence on the LoC by India in five sectors, (iii) deployment of the Brahmos Missile, anti-tank guided missiles and Spike missiles for use across the LoC and (iv) conduct of numerous missile tests since August 2019.

“The situation presents a present danger to peace and security in our region,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram said. “We welcome the fact that the council remains actively seized of the matter,” he said. “We expect the UNMOGIP to provide detailed briefing to the Council on the situation along the LoC as soon as possible,” he added.

The council last met on August 5 on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, a meeting that was also called by China, after India abrogated the special status of Kashmir and placed the territory under a repressive lockdown with complete communications blackout followed by massive arrests of Kashmiris.

Ambassador Akram called on India to immediately halt its unilateral and illegal actions in Kashmir and cease forthwith its draconian human rights violations. The illegal measures taken by India since August 5 were null and void, as they are in violations of the relevant Security Council resolution.

He pointed out that the so-called ‘political maps’ issued by the Indian home ministry recently have not been accepted by the UN, which clearly depict Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory. “Jammu and Kashmir is an international dispute which is on the agenda of the Security Council for the last seven decades,” he said.

“The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute on the basis of UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions, and in accordance with the wishes of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir, continues to be an important task for the Security Council,” he added.