By Hamza Ameer
Islamabad, June 16 (IANS) As India gears up to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), Pakistan has expressed serious concerns over it, calling it “not a moment of rejoice, but concern”.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that India’s intention to become non-permanent member of UNSC is a matter of concern for Pakistan as “India has blatantly rejected resolutions of the prestigious forum, particularly on Kashmir”.
“India has been ignoring the resolutions of UNSC on Kashmir for a long time, giving way to an unending oppression of Kashmiris by denying them their rights to self-determination,” he said.
“Heavens will not fall if India becomes a UNSC member,” he, however, added saying that Pakistan had also served at the same position for at least seven times.
Qureshi reminded that Pakistan had written a letter to the UNSC Secretary General about what he called “ongoing brutalities going on in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).
Raking up the Kashmir dispute, Qureshi said that Pakistan has been communicating to the UNSC and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) about the dire condition of Kashmiris, who are under lockdown due to what he called, “state-run and -managed atrocities of Indian occupational forces”.
“Kashmir did not accept India’s August 5 illegal annexation of the valley as the government continued its illegal search operations even during the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
“Also, the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution has targeted the minorities, particularly the Muslims,” he added.
Qureshi said India’s neighbouring countries are insecure because of New Delhi’s agendas.
“Majority of India’s neighboring countries, including Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are not safe from its nefarious and hegemonic designs,” Qureshi said.
“India locked horns with China on Laddakh, named Bengalis as termites and meted out a negative treatment to Sri Lanka and Nepal. India has made dysfunctional the platform of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and has also upset the entire neighbourhood with its inept attitude,” he added.
Making use of the opportunity, Qureshi rejected Indian Defence Minister’s comments, saying “it was a misconception that Kashmiris stood with New Delhi”.
“If he (Rajnath Singh) thinks that Kashmiris are with him, then I invite him to come to Muzaffarabad, come here and see how many Kashmiris agree with him,” he said.
“The Indian minister should invite Pakistani officials to Srinagar to see the true picture,” he added.
Qureshi said that India’s misconception that Kashmiris are on Indian side would be clarified with the opinion by the Kashmiris.
–IANS
hza/in