Pakistan rakes up Kashmir issue at UNSC

Pakistan says selective implementation of UN resolutions weakens credibility of organisation

Pakistan has once again brought up the Kashmir issue at the Security Council by linking it to the Palestinian crisis in the Middle East.

"Longstanding, internationally recognised disputes of Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir continue to fester," Pakistan's Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi told the Council, on Wednesday, ahead of the upcoming General Assembly emergency session on Jerusalem.

Lodhi talked about the Kashmir reference while speaking of "efforts to change the status of Jerusalem" because of US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise it as Israel's capital and move Washington's embassy there.



"The Palestinian and Kashmiri people continue to suffer horrific human rights violations at the hands of occupying forces, while the world continues to watch without addressing these egregious situations.

"All resolutions of the Security Council must be implemented uniformly and non-selectively," she said in an obvious reference to a 1948 resolution of the Council on Kashmir.

"Selective implementation weakens multi-lateralism and the credibility of the UN."



India maintains that the resolution has been made redundant by the march of history. The plebiscite proposed in the resolution could not be held because Pakistan would not withdraw its troop from areas it occupied, and since then Kashmiris have elected their legislators and leaders.

India did not respond to Lodhi's comments. It has generally not responded to any attempts made by Pakistan to talk about Kashmir at the UN.



Earlier in September, after Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's speech at the General Assembly, Lodhi had brought up the Kashmir issue at the UN holding up the picture of an injured Kashmiri girl.

Indian diplomat Paulomi Tripathi pointed out that Lodhi had "callously" exploited the picture "to divert attention from Pakistan's role as the hub of global terrorism".

This article originally appeared on The Economic Times