Pakistan seeks UN's help over controversial Occupied Kashmir domicile law

The real Indian motive behind blaming Pakistan is to create a pretext for a 'false flag operation', says FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: As part of Pakistan's consistent political and diplomatic efforts, the country has approached the United Nations (UN) over Delhi's blatant attempt to turn the Muslim-majority in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) into a minority.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written letters to the UN Security Council president and the UN Secretary General, apprising them of the latest situation in the occupied valley particularly the recent changes brought by the Modi government in domicile laws that would pave the way for non-Kashmiris to acquire permanent residence there.

The Foreign Office, in a statement issued on Saturday, said letters, dispatched on May 21, were part of ongoing efforts by Pakistan to keep the world body abreast of the current situation in the disputed region.

The foreign minister, as per the official handout, drew attention towards the newly-notified "Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Order 2020" and "Jammu & Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate Rules 2020" aimed at changing the demographic structure of IOJ&K.



"It has been underscored that these actions are illegal and in violation of the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions and international law, in particular the 4th Geneva Convention," the statement read.

Qureshi highlighted India's opportunistic exploitation of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to further intensify its military crackdown in IOJ&K.

While conveying serious concerns over India’s state-terrorism in the valley, the foreign minister rejected Delhi's efforts to undermine the indigenous struggle of the Kashmiri people against illegal Indian occupation and brutalisation of Kashmiris by terming it as "terrorism."

FM Qureshi also conveyed Pakistan’s concern over the continued ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB) and deliberate targetting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces.

Rejecting the baseless Indian allegations of so-called "launch pads" of "infiltrators", the foreign minister has reiterated Pakistan’s offer to the UN Military Observer Group in India & Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to visit the alleged sites to confirm the veracity of unfounded Indian allegations.



He underlined that the real Indian motive behind blaming Pakistan is to create a pretext for a "false flag operation", about which Pakistan has been forewarning the international community.

Reminding the UN Security Council president of the Council’s primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the foreign minister called for urging India to refrain from: committing serious crimes against Kashmiri people; extra-judicial killings, arbitrary detentions and incarcerations; use of pellet guns and live ammunition; changing the demographic structure  of IOJ&K; burning and looting of Kashmiris' houses to inflict “collective punishment,” and end continuing military crackdown and unprecedented restrictions.

As part of Pakistan’s active diplomatic outreach and taking up the Jammu & Kashmir dispute at all international fora, the statement said the foreign minister kept the UN Security Council fully apprised of the evolving situation in IOJ&K and urged the council to play its role in the maintenance of peace and security.

"Since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5 ,2019, the Jammu & Kashmir dispute has been taken up in the Security Council on three different occasions."

The foreign minister separately spoke to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on May 22 and briefed him in detail on the worsening situation in IOJ&K as well as regional peace and security, urging him and the United Nations to play their role in preventing any escalation and facilitating peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.