UNSC likely to hold session on occupied Kashmir on Friday: Radio Pakistan

Published August 15, 2019
In a statement issued on Tuesday night, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that he had written a letter to the UNSC president, asking the latter to convene an emergency meeting of the council to discuss India’s "illegal actions" that also "violate UN resolutions on Kashmir". — Reuters/File
In a statement issued on Tuesday night, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that he had written a letter to the UNSC president, asking the latter to convene an emergency meeting of the council to discuss India’s "illegal actions" that also "violate UN resolutions on Kashmir". — Reuters/File

The United Nations Security Council is expected to hold a session to discuss the occupied Kashmir dispute on Friday, Radio Pakistan reported, as China also backed Pakistan's request.

Pakistan drew the attention of the UNSC presidency to the grave threat to peace and security in South Asia after India annexed occupied Kashmir and called for summoning an emergency meeting of the council to discuss the rapidly aggravating situation.

Quoting diplomatic sources, Radio Pakistan on Thursday reported that the Kashmir dispute would be discussed tomorrow under the agenda item 'Pakistan-India question'.

The same was confirmed in a report by Geo News, which quoted UNSC president Joanna Wronecka as saying: "The UNSC will discuss the Jammu and Kashmir situation behind closed doors most likely on August 16."

The UNSC president, in response to a question, was quoted as saying that the session will "most probably" be on Friday as the UNSC would not operate on Thursday.

Read: Pakistan seeks emergency UNSC meet on Kashmir

The development comes a day after China also backed Pakistan's request for the international body to discuss India's move and asked the UNSC on Wednesday to meet behind closed doors, diplomats said.

However, France responded to the request by proposing that the council discuss the issue in a less formal manner — known as "any other business" — next week, diplomats said. Reuters reported that it would be up to Poland, president of the council for August, to mediate an agreed time and format among the 15 members.

Radio Pakistan reported that the last time occupied Kashmir found a reference in the UNSC was the UN Security Council Resolution 1172 in 1998 after Pakistan had conducted nuclear tests.

In a statement issued on Tuesday night, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that he had written a letter to the UNSC president, asking the latter to convene an emergency meeting of the council to discuss India’s "illegal actions" that also "violate UN resolutions on Kashmir".

Read: PM questions world's silence on IoK, warns of severe repercussions in case of ethnic cleansing of Muslims

Meanwhile, August 15, which is also India's Independence Day, is being observed as a black day across Pakistan to protest the brutalities and human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir.

In a post shared on Twitter, Prime Minister Imran Khan once again questioned the international community's silence on Indian-occupied Kashmir and warned that should ethnic cleansing of Muslims take place in the region, there would be severe repercussions in the Muslim world.

Opinion

Editorial

Maulana’s message
Updated 11 Mar, 2025

Maulana’s message

The problem now is that most jihadi fighters, ideologues refuse to end their "struggle" on advice of state or mainstream clerics.
President’s speech
11 Mar, 2025

President’s speech

PRESIDENT Asif Zardari, addressing Monday’s joint session of parliament to mark the start of a new parliamentary...
Indian takeover
11 Mar, 2025

Indian takeover

BY the time the Champions Trophy final ended, the only indicators that the tournament had been hosted by Pakistan...
Mosquito season
10 Mar, 2025

Mosquito season

AS temperatures rise, the threat of dengue looms large over Pakistan. Its warning signs have already arrived. Dengue...
Reckless rhetoric
10 Mar, 2025

Reckless rhetoric

ONCE again, the Indian leadership gave in to their worst impulses, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar...
Water scarcity
Updated 10 Mar, 2025

Water scarcity

The need to meet climate challenge is even greater when Pakistan is prone to multiple disastrous events at the same time.