NewsMay 12, 2018
Tension at UN session as Pakistan raises Kashmir issue
NEW YORK: Pakistan raised tensions with India at a UN General Assembly session in New York after a Pakistani official made reference to the issue of the Kashmir conflict, which India rejected as being irrelevant to the work of the committee, reported foreign media.Masood Anwar from Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN said: “The world we live today is marred with conflict and strife while we maintain unity in fighting terrorism and extremism.” “Countering the narrative of this twisted ideologies is imperative,” he said, adding, “Human rights violations in particular are a matter of serious concern to the international community.”
The official stated the UN’s Department of Public Information (DPI) could play a significant role in alleviating tensions and highlighting areas where “grave violations of human rights are taking place”.
In his remarks the official made specific reference to the Rohingya, Palestinians and Kashmiris. However, S Srinivasa Prasad, minister in the Indian mission to the UN, slammed Anwar’s statements and said his reference to Kashmir lay outside the remit of the committee.
He said: "We have seen another attempt here today to make reference to issues extraneous to the agenda of the committee.” “We completely reject these remarks as they have no relevance to the work of the Committee.”
The Indian official nevertheless confirmed India’s commitment to the DPI’s work on counter-terrorism, stating, ”India is opposed to all forms of terrorism and believes that effective cooperation among countries is necessary to combat the threat.”
It comes after Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir-Khan accused the international community of ignoring the arms race instigated by India, while continuing to sell the country a huge number of weapons, in a sign of growing tensions between the long-term foes.
Speaking during a seminar entitled ‘India - A hypocritical regional power’ organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS), the top lawmaker said the world was oblivious to the real face of India. He said: “Human rights abuses and other issues are rising on a daily basis but the international community is not paying attention to the arms race and hunger of India.
“The foreign powers don’t come to India to taste their spices, but to sell their arms.” He also explicitly referred to India’s hostile relationship with Pakistan, saying: “India will not open up its market for Pakistan. India is a supporter of free trade with Pakistan, but on its own terms.” He accused the Indian media of misreporting facts, while also claiming the Indian government continues to oppress independence movements in the Kashmir region of north-west India. Khurram stated India cannot employ negative tactics to deny the right of self-determination of the Kashmiris, in a sign of the ongoing conflict along the disputed border.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
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