China-Pak initiative to rake up Kashmir at UN falls flat.
Pakistan's efforts to rake up Kashmir at United Nations found no support at United Nations Security Council as the UNSC members overwhelmingly held that the issue is a bilateral one and should be discussed between Islamabad and New Delhi.
After UNSC's closed-door meeting in New York, India told Pakistan in no uncertain terms that it has to stop terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir before it wants to start talks.
"Stop terror to start talks" was the message by India's permanent envoy to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, after the 73-minute meeting.
On China's call, the UNSC held an informal consultative meet to discuss a letter by Pak Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi following Indian government's decision to scrap special status of Jammu and Kashmir given under Article 370 of the Constitution.
Akbaruddin, after the meeting got over, said, "Article 370 is internal matter.. these have no external ramifications."
1. No takes of Pak-China's Kashmir move
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Pakistan's efforts to raise Indian government's decision to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations were thwarted on Friday as China's initiative to discuss the matter at the United Nations Security Council found no takers.
China had asked for informal closed-door UNSC consultations on how to react to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's letter. However, China and Pakistan found no support among the 15 members of the Security Council on Friday.
All members except China were of the view that the matter should be dealt bilaterally by India and Pakistan. Had the members arrived at a conclusion to discuss the matter formally, it would have been debated and voted at the UN.
2. Big victory for India
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The outcome will be considered a big diplomatic victory for India as consultations did not lead to any formal meeting which Islamabad was keen to have. In the aftermath of India's international decision to remove the special status for Jammy and Kashmir, Pakistan has been trying to internationalise Kashmir by reaching out to global capitals but has not got any traction.
The meeting took place without the presence of representatives of India and Pakistan and since it is a consultation process it will not be part of the UNSC record.
3. Stop terror to start talks: India tells Pakistan
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Speaking after the 73-minute closed-door meeting, Syed Akbaruddin, India's permanent representative to the UN, said, "Our national position was and remains that matter related to #Article370 of the Indian Constitution is entirely an internal matter of India."
"These have no external ramifications, the recent decisions taken by the Govt of India and our legislative bodies are intended to ensure that good governance is promoted, social-economic development is enhanced for our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh," he said.
On talk with Pakistan, the top Indian diplomat at the UNS said, "Using terror to push goals is not the way normal states behave..stop terror to start talks."
4. Russia hopes differences are settled by India, Pakistan bilaterally
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Earlier, even as closed-door consultations were underway, Russia - one of the permanent members of the block - said it hoped Islamabad and Pakistan settle the issue bilaterally.
"Russia continues to consistently promote normalisation of India-Pakistan ties. We hope that existing divergences around Kasmir will be settled bilaterally by political and diplomatic means only on the basis of Simla Agreement of 1972 and Lahore declaration of 1999, in accordance with UN Charter, relevant UN resolutions and bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan," Dmitry Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN said.
"We are friends and good partners with both #India and #Pakistan and both peoples. We have no hidden agendas. So we will open-heartedly continue to engage with Islamabad and New Delhi in order to help both of them come to terms and have good neighbourly relations," Polyanskiy said.
5. Syed Akbaruddin's response to Pak journos wins the internet
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Syed Akbaruddin, India's permanent representative to the United Nations, won the internet on Friday after his response to a Pakistan journalist who asked New Delhi's position on dialogues with Islamabad.
Akbaruddin was addressing the media after an informal consultative meeting of the United Nation Security Council to discuss Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's letter to the UN.
The top Indian diplomat at the UN took the first three questions from Pak journalists.
#WATCH: Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Ambassador to UN says,"so, let me start by coming across to you and shaking hands. All three of you," to a Pakistani journalist when asked,"when will you begin a dialogue with Pakistan?" pic.twitter.com/0s06XAaasl
— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2019
