UNSC recognises gravity of Kashmir situation

Despite New Delhi's strenuous attempts against it the UN Security Council did meet on Thursday and reportedly "recognised seriousness of prevailing situation" in Indian-held Kashmir. It was the UN apex body's second closed-door meeting on Kashmir in months. Since there was no official statement on the deliberations at the meeting both Islamabad and New Delhi have their own versions about its outcome. "The participants condemned India's inhuman lockdown of 8 million Kashmiris for over 165 days, the egregious human rights violations of Kashmiris by over 900,000 Indian occupation forces," says a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. The UN officials also confirmed that Kashmiri political leaders remained detained and communications blockade was in place. New Delhi was opposed to this meeting of the Security Council, but once it did take place it has accused Pakistan of 'misusing' the UN forum courtesy China. In India's point of view, China should seriously reflect on this global consensus that if at all there's any matter between India and Pakistan that needs to be discussed bilaterally, and refrain from taking such action in future, said the spokesperson of India's foreign ministry. He also said that India would invite Prime Minister Imran Khan to attend the 19th council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be hosted by India later this year. If Narendra Modi is honest about having bilateral talks with Pakistan, as this invitation tends to suggest, only time will tell. Pakistan should accept the Indian invitation, and raise the Kashmir issue for which SCO is quite a relevant forum.

But as Pakistan prepares for the SCO summit it should not overlook the obtaining circumstances in India which must have forced the disciples of Chanakya to take conciliatory course. Only a couple of days before extending invitation to Pakistan, India's new army chief, Gen M M Naravane, sought parliament's permission to "claim" Azad Kashmir. His counterpart in Pakistan told him 'we are ready to check you; you better give up on your belligerent rhetoric'. Given mounting rejection of Modi government's laws about citizenship and its registration India may be working on an option to divert attention of its people by staging a false flag operation or any other provocation against Pakistan. And Pakistan can see through India's dubious stance, inspired as it is by the 'RSS-inspired BJP government's Hindutva mindset, with its anti-Muslim and anti-Kashmiri obsession that is responsible for creating perilous situation for regional peace and stability'. It is Pakistan's hope that continued international scrutiny, as conducted by the UN Security Council, would pressure India to 'reverse its unilateral measures and end human rights abuses, ceasefire violations and threats against Pakistan'.

According to the FO, at the meeting of the UNSC, the UN's Political Affairs and Peacekeeping Affairs departments made presentations on Kashmir-related situation. Does it mean that from the UNSC angle the Kashmir problem is only a case of human rights violations and ceasefire violations? Of course it is so, but also, more fundamentally, it is a question of denial of Kashmiris' right of self-determination, recognised as it is by the same UN Security Council. The international community must understand that India would have no problem with lifting curfew and ending security clampdown if its action to abrogate Occupied Kashmir's special status is accepted as lawful by the United Nations. Yes, the plight of Kashmiris is certainly a dire human rights situation, but far more critical is their right of self-determination. Should the Modi sarkar be confident that nothing would happen if curfew was lifted it would have done by now. But that is not the case - even 165 days of forbidding incarceration have not succeeded in killing the Kashmiris' demand to be left alone to decide their future. Therefore, even Pakistan is thankful to the UN Security Council for taking up the Kashmir issue; it should not waiver in its commitment to keep rendering political and moral help to the people of Occupied Kashmir.