ISLAMABAD (17 August 2019) – Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday welcomed the UN Security Council’s informal consultation on the Kashmir issue and said that addressing the “suffering of Kashmiri people” was the responsibility of the world body.
The cricketer-turned-politician said in a tweet: “I welcome the UNSC meeting to discuss the serious situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. It is for the first time in over 50 yrs that the world’s highest diplomatic forum has taken up this issue.”
I welcome the UNSC meeting to discuss the serious situation in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. It is for the first time in over 50 yrs that the world’s highest diplomatic forum has taken up this issue. There are 11 UNSC resolutions reiterating the Kashmiris right to self determination.
He said there were 11 UNSC resolutions reiterating the Kashmiris’ “right to self-determination”.
“The UNSC meeting was a reaffirmation of these resolutions. Therefore addressing the suffering of the Kashmiri people and ensuring resolution of the dispute is the responsibility of this world body,” he added.
The UNSC meeting was held on Friday after China’s insistence to hold a discussion on the current situation of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir following India’s decision to revoke its special status.
In a setback to Pakistan, the UNSC in its informal consultation on Kashmir acknowledged India’s measures to bring normalcy and development to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, according to India’s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin.
“We are gratified that the UNSC in its closed consultations appreciated these efforts, acknowledged them, and indicated that this is the direction that it would like the international community to move. We are committed to gradually removing all the restrictions,” he said.