India, Pakistan clash at UN after FM Bilawal slams New Delhi’s abuses in Kashmir

UNITED NATIONS, May 20 (APP): Delegates of India and Pakistan Thursday got into a fresh verbal duel in the UN Security Council ministerial-level meeting on food security, after Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari denounced New Delhi’s repressive actions in occupied Kashmir, saying it is “implementing a racist policy” in the disputed territory.

The Indian delegate to the UN reacted to FM Bilawal’s pointed words, claiming that Kashmir was an integral part of India and accusing Pakistan of being involved in terrorism.

Exercising his right of reply, Pakistan’s delegate Imran Khan rejected India’s claim that Jammu and Kashmir was its part.

“Jammu and Kashmir is not and has never been a part of India,” Khan, a counselor in the Pakistan mission to the UN, said, adding that any official UN map can verify that the Himalayan state is “disputed territory”.

“As stipulated in the Security Council resolution 47(1948), the ‘final disposition’ of the State of Jammu and Kashmir is to be decided by the people of Jammu & Kashmir through a fair and impartial plebiscite, to be held under UN auspices,” he said.

Pointing out that India had accepted the UN Security Council resolutions, but he said they remain to be implemented.

“India’s refusal to do so, for over seven decades now, constitutes a flagrant and continuing violation of the Security Council resolutions, of the UN Charter, and the international law,” the Pakistani delegate said.

“The Indian government’s unilateral and illegal actions of 5 August 2019, to rob occupied Jammu and Kashmir of its identity, to oppress its people with 900,000 occupying troops and to change Jammu & Kashmir’s demography from a Muslim majority state to a Hindu majority state have narrowed the space for dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir.”

As regards India’s allegations regarding terrorism, the Pakistani delegate said that they are nothing but a smokescreen to conceal state terrorism against the Kashmiri people.

History bears testimony that colonizers and occupiers often attempt to justify their suppression of legitimate struggles for self-determination and freedom by portraying them as “terrorism”.

But, he said, nothing will dampen the indomitable spirits of Kashmiris to seek their inalienable right to self-determination.

“Pakistan will continue to expose India’s ‘State terrorism’ and it’s oppression against the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” delegate Imran Khan said.

“We will continue to call for a just solution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council and wishes of the Kashmiri people.”