ISLAMABAD: Care­taker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has urged the United Nations Security Council to press Delhi to reverse “illegal and unilateral actions” it has taken in India-held Kashmir since Aug 5, 2019.

“Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has addressed letters to the leadership of the United Nations, Orga­ni­sation of Islamic Coope­ration and the European Union, inviting their attention to the illegality of the recent judgement by the Supreme Court of India on the status of Indian Ille­gally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” the Foreign Office said in a statement issued on Saturday.

This appeal has been made in the aftermath of Indian SC’s decision endo­rsing the Indian government’s annexation of the disputed territory.

The Indian top court had in its ruling on a series of petitions challenging the constitutionality of New Delhi’s 2019 action deemed that the region’s special status was a “temporary provision”, and declared its abrogation as constitutionally sound.

In his letters, Mr Jilani has argued that the Indian court’s judgement violates international law and contravenes UNSC Resolution 122 of 1957. He asserted that domestic legal and judicial decisions cannot override international resolutions on disputed territories.

Accusing India of altering the demographic structure and political landscape of held Kashmir, Mr Jilani condemned the Indian authorities’ efforts to marginalise the Kashmiri population in their land. He described India’s steps since Aug 5, 2019, as part of a broader strategy to entrench its control over the region.

The 2019 decision by India to revoke occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of its Constitution sparked international criticism and raised human rights concerns. The Indian Supreme Court’s recent judgement, ratifying the government’s actions, has added a new layer to the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed states.

Mr Jilani’s diplomatic outreach seeks international attention to the conflict that has long been a source of regional instability. The international community’s response to Pakistan’s call and the evolving situation in India-held Kashmir are expected to significantly impact regional dynamics and international law principles.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2023