FM Qureshi challenges India's Modi to hold referendum in IOK

Shah Mehmood Qureshi says solution should be found according to UN resolutions

MULTAN:

Slamming the Indian PM for not fulfilling UN promise, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qurehsi has challenged Indian PM Narendra Modi to hold a public in the occupied valley to have a feedback of its decision on scrapping IOK of its special status.

“I challenge Narendra Modi to lift the curfew and call the entire Kashmiri leadership — including those who have been in government with you — such as former CMs Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and the Hurriyat leadership: Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, Ali Gilani, Yasin Malik — there are numerous individuals,” said Qureshi during a press conference in Multan on Sunday.

“You haven’t fulfilled the United Nations promise but if you wish to check the popularity of your decision, hold the referendum and everything will be clear,” said the FM.

The UN’s secretary general had said they consider the area to be a disputed region and that the solution to the dispute lies in the UN resolutions, UN charter and in accordance with international laws, he added.

“This is a huge diplomatic success for Pakistan,” said the FM. He, however, questioned the international community’s insistence that talks between India and Pakistan be held.

He added that Pakistan has never opposed a bilateral dialogue.

The FM elaborated that there are three parties to the dispute: India, Pakistan, and Kashmiris. Two parties are completely uninvolved in UNSC decisions, and the third, Kashmiris, are under arrest and a curfew has been imposed on them.

Kashmiris, he lamented, “can scarcely breathe; we don’t know if they have access to medicines, or food even. In which environment are they asking that we hold talks?” said Qureshi.

“The Security Council should consider with whom they are expecting that we hold a dialogue — with such a cruel government?” he asked.

He said the restricting environment had stretched on for 13 days now when even Muharram has 10 days of mourning.

“People continue to be subjected to enormous suffering. There is constant firing across the LoC [Line of Control] and our soldiers have been martyred. Pakistan has exercised patience. But, Pakistan has also expressed its resolve [to stand with Kashmir] and we will continue to stand with Kashmir,” he vowed.

The foreign minister lauded the international and Pakistan media for highlighting the Kashmir issue.

Earlier in the day, he also reacted to Indian defence minister’s comments and strongly condemned it.

The FM, in a statement, responded to the comments made by the Indian defence minister in which he had hinted at a possible change in his country’s position on ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons.

Qureshi, while equally condemning the complete indefensible lock-down of the entire population in the Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, which continued for two weeks, said it was deepening the dire humanitarian tragedy as reported by the international human rights organisations and the media.

The world community, including the USC, had taken cognizance of the utterly untenable situation, he added.

The minister said as for the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, “Pakistan’s position is based on UN Charter principles and international law, and remains unchanged. The Jammu & Kashmir dispute is to be decided on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions and in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”