Kashmir Dispute: Pakistan to Move the International Court of Justice
While Kashmir is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, the decision of India is being construed as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.
By Rakesh Raman
After India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Monday, Pakistan is planning to file an appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against India’s unilateral decision.
The issue was discussed on Monday at the daily press briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric.
According to a statement released by Pakistan government today (August 6), Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written a letter to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to apprise him about the critical situation of the “Occupied Kashmir” and the regional peace and security situation.
The Narendra Modi government has revoked Article 370 which gave special status to J&K. India’s Rajya Sabha approved the resolution abrogating Article 370 for J&K and a bill to bifurcate the state into two union territories: J&K and Ladakh.
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah said the traditional provisions of the constitution were responsible for poverty and lack of development in the state, and now without the special status J&K will be like any other Indian state.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and apprised him about the critical situation of the Occupied Kashmir and the regional peace and security situation. pic.twitter.com/pRh65BfEYC
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) August 6, 2019
While Kashmir is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, the decision of India is being construed as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir. Reiterating that India’s decision is against the will of the people in Kashmir, Pakistan is asking for a plebiscite in Kashmir under the UN supervision.
In order to suppress any kind of opposition by force, India has deployed thousands of additional security people in Kashmir. However, large-scale violence is expected as most Kashmiris are irked by the decision of the Indian government.
Of late, the U.S. President Donald Trump has also expressed his desire to resolve the burning Kashmir issue as he said that PM Modi wants him to intervene, although India’s Ministry of External Affairs has denied the claim made by the U.S. President about Modi’s request.
Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that the UN is following with concern the tense situation in the region, adding that the UN is aware of reports of restrictions on the Indian side of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has observed and reported an increase in military activity along the line of control (LoC), which is a border between India and Pakistan.
By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society. He also creates and publishes a number of digital publications on different subjects.
