China raises Kashmir issue at UNSC, demands UN observers’ report

China on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting and sought a detailed briefing by the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) on the disturbing developments there.

According to details, China’s Ambassador to UN Zhang Jun told the 15-member Council, which met behind closed doors that he would again request the meeting when UNMOGIP was ready with its report on the situation in Kashmir.

“I am not in a position to say anything more,” Ambassador Zhang told reporters when asked about Beijing’s move to seek a UNSC meeting on Kashmir.

“We all know the Security Council has received a letter from the foreign minister of Pakistan requesting Security Council discussions and discussions are going on,” Zhang later told reporters.

In his letter to the Security Council, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had called upon UNSC to take cognizance of the recent disturbing developments across the Line of Control (LoC) which constitute threat to peace and security.

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“The situation presents a present danger to peace and security in our region,” Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram said on Tuesday. “We welcome the fact that the council remains seized of the matter.”

He added, “We expect the UNMOGIP to provide detailed briefing to the Security Council on the situation along the LoC as soon as possible.”

The council last met on August 5 on the situation in occupied Kashmir, a meeting that was also called by China, after India abrogated the special status of the valley and placed the territory under a repressive lockdown with complete communications blackout followed by massive arrests of Kashmiris.

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Ambassador Akram called on India to immediately halt its unilateral and illegal actions in Kashmir and cease forthwith its draconian human rights violations.

He pointed out that the so-called ‘political maps’ issued by the Indian Home Ministry recently have not been accepted by the UN, which clearly depict Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory.

“Jammu and Kashmir is an international dispute which is on the agenda of the Security Council for the last seven decades,” he said.

“The resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute on the basis of UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions, and in accordance with the wishes of the people of the Jammu and Kashmir, continues to be an important task for the Security Council.”