Pakistan appeals to UN over border clashes, Kashmir dispute

PM's adviser says UN observation team going to disputed border; demands Kashmiris be allowed to hold a plebiscite


Reuters October 12, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Sartaj Aziz, the adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on national security and foreign affairs, said that officials from UNMOGIP, a UN observation team, were going to the disputed border to observe the ceasefire violations.

He also appealed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday for assistance in solving the long-running dispute with India over the status of Kashmir, according to a press release.

"We cannot draw a veil on the issue of Kashmir, until it is addressed in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister had also reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to work for resolution of this issue through negotiations," said Aziz, adding that India had adopted a policy that runs counter to its stated desire to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan.

Aziz revived Pakistan's demand for Kashmiris to be allowed to hold a plebiscite to decide the region’s future, as called for by a UN resolution adopted in 1948. India has long opposed a plebiscite.

“For decades, Pakistan has been reminding the United Nations and the international community to fulfill that promise, in the interest of durable peace and security in the region,” Aziz said in his letter to Ban Ki-moon.

Former president and military ruler Pervez Musharraf had said in 2003 that he was prepared to set aside that demand in an effort to reach a settlement over Kashmir.

The disputed border running through Kashmir is heavily militarised on both sides. Since the beginning of October, Pakistan and India have been firing mortars and machine-guns across the border, leading to the highest death toll in a decade among civilians on both sides.

It is unclear what started the intense firing, although officers who have served on the disputed Line of Control say that small incidents can rapidly escalate as each side responds with ever-increasing force. India controls more than half of the disputed Himalayan region, and Pakistan controls around a third, while China holds 10 percent of the territory.

COMMENTS (78)

harkol | 9 years ago | Reply

@MJ:

Please read the 1948 UN resolutions and India Independence Act before talking about who did what. It is true that Nehru referred the Kashmir intrusion by Pakistan to UN, and UN did the resolution calling on pakistan to withdraw, which it never did. Part of the resolution says that once Pakistan withdraws from areas occupied by its intruders, UN will determine a day to hold plebescite. Pakistan never withdrew.

Junagadh & Hyderabad were never an issue, because its rulers didn't get any right to secede or accede to Pakistan. The Mountbatten Plan, which is the agreement that INC, Muslim League signed on never allowed creation of more than two dominions, and it didn't allow geographically non-contiguous states to join either dominion.

India agreed to UN resolution and was fully prepared for Plebescite in Kashmir. But, that was 1948, and this is now.

Pakistan of 1947 doesn't remain anymore (half of that state is Bangladesh). And portion of Kashmir is with China and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir demographics have changed.

MJ | 9 years ago | Reply

@Mega. It was India that ran to UN after attacking Junagarh and Hyderabad because they knew the outcome of the plebiscite would be in their favor because of Hindu majority. Whereas India blocked every attempt to do the same in Kashmir because they knew that it was Muslim majority. Pakistan in both cases was and is willing to accept the decision made by the people while Indians have carried on the legacy of Nehru's ego.

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