Pak Foreign Minister Qureshi dials UN chief over Kashmir

Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday called UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to apprise him about the "evolving and delicate situation" in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the media here to provide details of his conversation with Guterres, Qureshi said it was responsibility of the international community to play a role in addressing the Kashmir situation.

Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after New Delhi abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated the State into two Union Territories on August 5.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality. "I highlighted the delicate situation that exist at the moment in Jammu and Kashmir during my conversation," he said.

Guterres said he was ready today as he was before to defuse the tension and will also probably meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow in France on the sidelines of the G7 Summit to discuss the issue, he said.

Qureshi said he also thanked Guterres for the Security Council meeting as the UN officials briefed the members during the meeting.

He said Pakistan wanted peace but it was important to address the suffering of the people in Kashmir who are reeling under day and night curfew for the last 20 days.

The foreign minister said he told the Secretary-General that some people in Kashmir who wanted to go to the UN office were not allowed to do so.

Qureshi said he also highlighted the arrests in Kashmir as well as shortage of food and medicines in his conversation with Guterres.

"I also highlighted pellet guns and use of cluster bombs on the LoC. I also told him about apprehension over an operation on the pattern of Pulwama," he said, adding that Pakistan had already highlighted the threat several times.

"We see threat of humanitarian crisis and threat of conflict and the UN should play role to protect people of Kashmir. I demand that UN should expedite efforts for lifting of curfew," Qureshi said.

The foreign minister said he asked Guterres to brief the P-5 leadership about the gravity of the situation in Kashmir.

Pakistan demands that UN Human Rights Commissioner will continue efforts to highlight Kashmir.

"The Human Rights Commissioner should visit Kashmir and we will allow him to visit Kashmir on our side," he said.

Qureshi said the UN Human Rights Commissioner should make a demand to visit the area and tell the world about it.