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First UNSC meeting on Jammu and Kashmir in almost 50 Years yields no result

17 August 2019 08:02 (UTC +04:00)

Friday’s closed-door meeting at the request of China was prompted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who, in a letter addressed to UNSC President Joanna Wronecka requested to convene consultations on Jammu and Kashmir, citing a number of human rights violations allegedly committed by the Indian authorities before and following the decision to revoke the special status of the state, as well as to the threats to international peace and security this action might pose, APA reports quoting sputniknews.

India’s envoy to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, emphasized after the meeting that New Dehli had imposed reasonable restrictions in Kashmir “to stop terrorists bleeding our people”, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Akbaruddin also stressed that the matters relating to Article 370 were internal to India and did not have external ramifications.

“We are committed to gradually removing the restrictions now in force in the state [...] And India remains committed to ensuring the situation remains calm and peaceful [...] We are committed to all the agreements we have signed on this issue”, Akbaruddin said, cited by The Hindustan Times media outlet.

The Indian envoy, however, reportedly blasted Islamabad without naming the country. “It is using the terminology of Jihad and is promoting violence in India including against its leadership [...] India remains committed to resolving all issues between India and Pakistan and between India and any other country bilaterally and peacefully", Akbaruddin said, according to The Hindustan Times.

After the short news conference, Akbaruddin shook hands with Pakistani journalists, reportedly saying that "this is a sign that we reach out a hand of friendship".

Pakistan's UN envoy, Akbaruddin, in turn, reportedly remained laconic and said after the closed meeting that “this is the first and not the last step”, according to The Hindustan Times. Akbaruddin and his Chinese counterpart did not take questions from journalists after the closed UNSC session.