UNITED NATIONS, Jan 22 (Asia Free Press): Pakistan has called on the United Nations (UN) to show its high efforts to urgently resolve the Kashmir dispute to curb Indian atrocities and barbarism in the disputed territory, which is a huge threat to regional and global peace and security, local media reported.
“Peace and security must remain at the core of the functions of the United Nations,” Permanent Ambassador of Pakistan to UN Munir Akram told the UN General Assembly while commenting on the report of the UN chief on the work of the Organization, APP reported.
Permanent envoy, in a well-reasoned speech, said “We urge the Security Council and the Secretary-General to exercise their considerable authority to promote an early and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and to end the Indian reign of terror against the Kashmiri people.”
The United Nations and the Secretary-General , he said, can do “much more” to address peace and security threats by fully using the authority provided by the United Nations Charter, such as in Article 99, and by taking action in the General Assembly if the Security Council is unable to do so.
The primary threat in South Asia, the Pakistani envoy highlighted, is posed by the dispute over Jammu and Kashmir and India’s attempt to annex and transform the Muslim majority state into a Hindu majority territory, a grave violation of Council resolutions that promised Kashmiris their right to self-determination through a United Nations supervised plebiscite.
Detailing extensive illegal actions taken by India, which he condemned, Ambassador Akram urged the Council and the Secretary-General to promote an early, peaceful end to the dispute.
He cited the rise of racial and religious hate and violence, with Islamophobia among its gravest manifestations, notably as characterized by lynching and calls for genocide of Muslims in India.
“The worst manifestation of Islamophobia is the officially-inspired campaign of the ‘Hindutva’ adherents in India against Muslims.” the permanent ambassador notified in his speech.
So far, the Pakistan envoy noted, there has been no accountability for India’s crimes. Draconian Indian laws provide complete impunity to the 900,000 troops India had deployed in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Ambassador Akram also drew attention to the statement made recently by the Head of “Genocide Watch”, Professor Gregory Stanton, in which he stated: “We are warning that genocide could very well happen in India.”
“We call on the Secretary-General and the United Nations to take decisive steps to combat Islamophobia and to prevent the danger of genocide against the Muslims of India.” he added.
Earlier this week, Stoke White law firm along with their partner Legal Forum for Kashmir, an international advocacy group for Kashmir lodged a lawsuit against Indian war criminals at Metropolitan war crime unit in London, UK.