India creating pretext for 'false flag' operation, UN told

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday apprised the United Nations and its Security Council of the Indian allegations of so-called "launch pads" of "infiltrators", saying the real motive behind blaming Pakistan is to create a pretext for a "false flag" operation. As part of Pakistan's consistent political and diplomatic efforts, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has addressed another comprehensive communication to the UN Security Council president and the UN secretary general, in which he also apprised them of the latest situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K). Through the letters, Qureshi has drawn attention towards the newly-notified "Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Order 2020" and "Jammu & Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate Rules 2020" aimed at changing the demographic structure of the IOJ&K. He underscored that these actions are illegal and in violation of the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and international law, in particular the 4th Geneva Convention. He has highlighted India's opportunistic exploitation of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to further intensify its military crackdown in IOJ&K. While conveying serious concerns over India's state-terrorism in IOJ&K, the foreign minister has rejected Indian efforts to undermine the indigenous struggle of the Kashmiri people against illegal Indian occupation and brutalization of Kashmiris by terming it as "terrorism." The foreign minister has also conveyed Pakistan's concern over the continued ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB), and deliberate targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces. Rejecting the baseless Indian allegations of so-called "launch pads" of "infiltrators", the foreign minister has reiterated Pakistan's offer to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to visit the alleged sites to confirm the veracity of unfounded Indian allegations. Qureshi underlined that the real Indian motive behind blaming Pakistan is to create a pretext for a "false flag" operation, about which Pakistan has been forewarning the international community. Reminding the UN Security Council president of the council's primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, he called for urging India to refrain from: committing serious crimes against Kashmiri people; extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detentions and incarcerations; use of pellet guns and live ammunition; changing the demographic structure of IOJ&K; burning and looting of Kashmiris' houses to inflict "collective punishment," and end continuing military crackdown and unprecedented restrictions. "As part of Pakistan's active diplomatic outreach and taking up the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at all international fora, the foreign minister has kept the UN Security Council fully apprised of the evolving situation in IOJ&K and urged the council to play its role in the maintenance of peace and security," said Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui. Since India's illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been taken up in the Security Council on three different occasions, she added. She further stated that the foreign minister separately spoke to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on May 22, 2020, and briefed him in detail on the worsening situation in the IOJ&K as well as regional peace and security, urging him and the United Nations to play their role in preventing any escalation and facilitating peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.