China calls for ‘peaceful settlement’ of IIOJK issue

Spokesperson says it should be done according to UNSC resolutions, bilateral agreement Between Pak, India

BEIJING:

China on Tuesday strongly reacted to the Indian top court’s decision to revoke the special status of Kashmir and called for settlement of the Kashmir issue in peaceful means according to the United Nations Charter, Security Council resolutions, and relevant bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan.

“On the Kashmir issue, China’s position is consistent and clear. This is a dispute left from the past between India and Pakistan and it should be properly addressed in peaceful means according to UN charter, UNSC resolutions and relevant bilateral agreements,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Mao Ning said during her regular briefing held at International Press Center (IPC).

On Dec 11, Indian Supreme Court announced a decision endorsing BJP government’s unilateral step to change the status of Jammu and Kashmir region in a clear violation of UNSC resolution 122 which decided that final settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue could only take place by UN supervised plebiscite.

Read also: Status of Kashmir

“The relevant parties need to settle this dispute through dialogue and consultations and safeguard peace and stability in the region,” Mao said in response to a question asked by the APP.

Kashmiri leaders have already rejected the decision by the Indian Supreme Court and see the move as an attempt to dilute the demographics of Muslim majority with Hindu settlers.

Pakistan has strongly condemned the move and vowed to exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps taken by India.

On Aug 5, 2019, in a move to tighten its grip on the IIOJK region, India dropped a constitutional provision that allowed the country’s only Muslim-majority region to make its own laws.