NEW YORK: Kashmir-American Council chief and noted pro-freedom leader Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai deplored as “factually and legally wrong” a statement by New Delhi’s Ambassador in UN T. S. Tirumurti claiming Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and issues concerning the region were internal matters of his country.
Tirumurti made that claim in response to questions at a press conference he addressed at UN Headquarters in New York in his capacity as president of the UN Security Council for the month of August.
Under all international agreements, accepted by both India and Pakistan, negotiated by the United Nations and endorsed by the Security Council, Fai said Kashmir, as a disputed territory, did not belong to any country and as such, Tirumurti’s claim of “internal matters” did not hold ground.
In this regard, Fai reminded Tirumurti of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ statement of August 8, 2019, that said: “The position of the United Nations on this region (Kashmir) is governed by the Charter of the United Nations and applicable Security Council resolutions.”
Guterres also called for the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite to settle the dispute as envisaged in Security Council resolutions.
Fai said it was not the inherent difficulties of a solution, but the lack of the political will of the world powers to resolve the issue that had caused the prolonged deadlock over the dispute.
“The deadlock has meant indescribable agony for the people of Kashmir and incalculable loss for both India and Pakistan,” he said, adding a solution must be found as soon as possible.
conduct the elections in Balochistan as well.