*UNITED NATIONS:*
Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to reform itscounter-terrorism work and shift some of its focus on combating Al-Qaedaand Islamic States (ISIS or Da’esh) to Hindutva extremists in India, whichterrorised Muslims.
Pakistan’s permanent representative to UN Ambassador Munir Akram told avirtual meeting of the General Assembly that the UNSC had failed toimplement its own resolutions and decisions, including on the decades-oldJammu and Kashmir dispute.
“Terrorism has proliferated across the world,” Akram told the virtualmeeting. While keeping focus on Al-Qaeda and Da’esh, the 15-member councilhad “ignored terrorism by extremist and fascist organizations, includingthe Hindutva groups terrorising Muslims”.
“It (UNSC) has allowed the labels of terrorism to compromise the legitimatestruggles of peoples under colonial and alien domination forself-determination. It has also ignored state terrorism, which is used foroppressing and brutalising peoples under occupation.”
The meeting discussed the annual report of the Security Council on itsactions to maintain international peace and security. Pointing outdeficiencies in the Council’s work, Akram said that the UNSC had alsofailed to implement its own resolutions, including on the Jammu and Kashmirdispute.
“For over seventy years, India has illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir inblatant violation of the resolutions of the Security Council; it isperpetrating a reign of terror in a territory occupied with 900,000troops,” he said.
India, the Pakistani envoy continued, “has imposed a complete siege on 8million Kashmiris in the Valley and it is perpetrating massive violationsof human rights against them and against its own minority communities”.
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“In the wake of its illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, theBJP-RSS government is putting in place what they have themselves called the‘final solution’ for Jammu and Kashmir – demographic flooding of occupiedKashmir by settler communities to completely disempower and disenfranchisethe Kashmiri people and to obliterate their Muslim identity and that of theoccupied territory.”
In this regard, the envoy said that the Council met thrice in one year onthe situation in Jammu and Kashmir, reaffirming its disputed status andthat a final settlement based on Security Council resolutions.
Ambassador Akram also underscored the need for improving transparency asmuch of the UNSC’s real work and decision-making took place behind closeddoors. The role of the non-members, he said, had been reduced amid thecoronavirus pandemic to the ‘perfunctory’ submission of written statementsto the few open meetings held by the Council.
The envoy called for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council toprovide it greater legitimacy and credibility. “Openness, transparency andinclusiveness should be introduced in the working modalities of theSecurity Council and its subsidiary bodies, especially the ‘SanctionsCommittees’ and those dealing with generic issues, such as terrorism andnon-proliferation.”
He added: “The international community cannot succeed in its efforts tostrengthen conflict prevention and promote pacific dispute settlement ifthe Security Council’s own resolutions are held in abeyance wilfully. Whatis at stake is both the council’s credibility as well as the objective ofdurable peace in our region. “I hope that the Council will not fail thesetests.” -APP/AFP
