India terming Kashmir unrest an internal matter a ‘violation of UNSC resolution’: FO

India terming Kashmir unrest an internal matter a ‘violation of UNSC resolution’: FO

ISLAMABAD, Jul 14 (APP): Pakistan on Thursday said the Kashmir dispute had an international recognition and India, calling it an internal matter, was making a “violation of UN Security Council resolution”.

“Kashmir is a disputed matter with numerous UNSC resolutions outstanding on its agenda that reiterate the call for plebiscite,” the Foreign Office Spokesman said here at a weekly press briefing.

The statement came in response to the remarks by Indian Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesman Vikas Swarup saying that Pakistan should refrain from issuing statements on the recent unrest in India-held Kashmir and stop interfering in the “internal affairs of its neighbours”.

Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said the international community recognized the Kashmiris’ movement for self-determination and it were the Indian security forces in fact who were indulging in the state-terrorism in Occupied Kashmir.

“They are terrorizing the people which is condemnable and even targeting the ambulances and hospitals to deny treatment to Kashmiris,” he said.

He said the indigenous movement of Kashmiris was for their self-determination and was a resistance against the Indian occupation of their territory.

He said nothing could deter Kashmiris’ resolve to continue their struggle.

“Indian efforts to project Kashmiris movement as terrorism through baseless accusations cannot succeed,” he said.

The Spokesman said Pakistan had briefed the representatives of P5, European Union and OIC countries on the state of human rights violations by India in held Kashmir.

To a question on how Pakistan and India could resolve the Kashmir dispute, he said Pakistan believed that dialogue was the best option.

He mentioned that despite several wars fought over Kashmir, the dispute could not be resolved and recalled a statement by U.S President Bill Clinton terming Kashmir a nuclear flashpoint of South Asia.

“Pakistan is ready for dialogue and the international community should urge upon India to come to the dialogue table,” he said.

To a question about the hostile remarks by Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani alleging Pakistan for sheltering terrorists, the
Foreign Office Spokesman said such statements were “unhelpful” and benefitted those who were against peace in Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan had repeatedly urged upon the Afghan side to refrain from issuing such statements against Pakistan which itself was the direct stakeholder in Afghanistan’s stability.

When attention was drawn towards the statement of Zalmay Khalilzad, a former U.S diplomat of Afghan-origin, advising the U.S government to suspend all military and non-education assistance to Pakistan, the Spokesman said “everyone is cognizant of the credentials of Mr Khalilzad and of how seriously he is taken”.

The Spokesman said the international community including the U.S recognized Pakistan’s sacrifices in fight against terrorism and mentioned a recent statement by Senator John McCain who said “he was completely and thoroughly impressed by the progress made by Pakistan” following his visit to North Waziristan.

“Pakistan’s resolve on counter-terrorism is unquestionable and the extraordinary success achieved during Zarb-e-Azb operation has put the terrorists on back foot,” he said.

On the ban imposed by Bangladesh on religious scholar Dr Zakir Naik following a terrorist incident, the Spokesman said Mr Naik was an Indian national and it was up to Bangladesh and India to address the issue and control the people indulging in terrorism.

APP Services