DM Monitoring
NEW YORK: The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will meet today at China’s request to discuss the situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, diplomats said.
The council will meet behind closed doors for the second time after August when a similar gathering was held, which was also called by Pakistan’s all-weather ally China, after India stripped the area of its decades-old autonomous status.
In a letter to the Security Council on Dec 12, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed
concern about a possible further escalation of tensions, according to Reuters.
“In view of the seriousness of the situation and the risk of further escalation, China would like to echo the request of Pakistan, and request a briefing of the Council … on the situation of Jammu and Kashmir,” China’s UN mission wrote in a note to council members, seen by Reuters. Diplomats speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed the meeting was scheduled to take place on Tuesday. In November, Pakistan and China had rejected bifurcation of occupied Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, saying Indian action was illegal and void.
The statements from Islamabad and Beijing came as India put into effect the bifurcation of occupied Kashmir into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and the lieutenant governors for the new territories took the oath of office in Srinagar and Leh. Pakistan’s Foreign Office in its reaction said the bifurcation of the occupied region did not alter its disputed status as it had been split in violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements, including Shimla accord.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Indian action was “not effective in any way”.
Both Pakistan and China had in August rejected the annulment of Article 370 and the announcement to divide the occupied region.
