Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Friday said the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir was vital to ensuring regional peace and ending the unnecessary arms race between Pakistan and India.
Talking to Al Jazeera, the foreign minister said the non-implementation of these resolutions were directly impacting the peace of the region besides hampering development of both Pakistan and India and also the progress of SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Countries).
Jilani said Kashmir is the most important and the core issue between Pakistan and India in the context of the UNSC resolutions that call for holding an impartial plebiscite in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiris. He regretted that resolutions faced non-implementation despite their passage over 70 years ago.
He pointed out that Kashmir was under siege with 7,000 Indian troops deployed in the valley, experiencing a worst-ever violation of human rights. Terming Kashmir a human prison, he said the people were being denied their just rights and the leaders were put under detention by India. Pakistan and India have fought wars on this dispute and it is a source of constant tension, he added.
The foreign minister said it was the responsibility of the UNSC to ensure the implementation of its resolutions lingering on for a long time. Asked if Kashmir’s ordeal could be compared with Palestine, he said both faced the denial of justice. He mentioned attending the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Palestine in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, where he expressed Pakistan’s complete solidarity with the people of Palestine.
He stressed early implementation of the resolutions whether they relate to Kashmir or Palestine. Speaking about the devastating impact of climate change, he said it was a huge challenge for Pakistan, as it was among the 10 most negatively affected countries by the phenomenon. He recalled the huge loss suffered by the country last year in which 30 million people were affected, besides the loss incurred to crops, livestock, and infrastructure. He mentioned that the UN Secretary General played an extremely helpful role following the climate catastrophe and thanked him for holding a conference in Geneva for Pakistan.
