Maleeha warns of humanitarian crisis to worsen in besieged Kashmir
She called India's decision to revoke Kashmir's special status as illegal and illegitimate.
(Web Desk) – Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi has asserted that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has an obligation to resolve the decades-old Kashmir issue by implementing its own resolutions that pledged the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people to decide their destiny.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya television, she stated: “The whole world subscribes to the principle of self-determination and why should it be denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and, what we ask […] Are they denied because they are Muslims?”
Lodhi urged the international community that it should respond to the fast deteriorating situation in occupied Kashmir because it poses a danger to peace and security of South Asian region.
“Pakistan believes it also endangered international peace, and that the 15-member Council should live up to its responsibility.” She called India’s decision to revoke Kashmir’s special status as illegal and illegitimate.
“UNSC acknowledges the fact that it is an international dispute when the 15-member body met recently,” she added.
Replying to a question, Ambassador Lodhi said, "There has been human rights crisis for seven decades in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and what has happened more recently means that the human rights crisis has been further aggravated and exacerbated.
She said there has been a communication blackout, people couldn’t communicate, telephone lines have not been working, the internet has been suspended, people were not allowed to go out and pray.
Lodhi said over 700,000 Indian troops have been deployed and an additional number of troops have also been sent to the valley.
“The occupation forces have been using all instruments of repression, to subdue the people of Jammu and Kashmir and yet we also know from reports that we are receiving, and these are international media outlets receiving these reports, that over 500 demonstrations have already been held in the last 3 to 4 weeks, so people are resisting the kind of state terrorism that has been inflicted upon them.”
She said Pakistan has raised the grave situation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and at the Security Council.
She added: “Pakistan would like to see a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute and we would like to see a negotiated settlement and we would also like to see the UN live up to its responsibility.”
About US president Donald Trump’s statement that India and Pakistan can solve Kashmir problem on their own, the Pakistani envoy said that New Delhi had suspended the bilateral dialogue over three years ago.
She said that India refuses to talk to Pakistan and in any case, the bilateral track never limited Pakistan from raising the issue internationally because it was an international dispute and the Security Council has an obligation.
