After Embarrassment At UNSC, Pakistan To Take Kashmir Issue To International Court Of Justice

Days after facing a major embarrassment at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Pakistan government on Tuesday decided to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of abrogation of Article 370.

Islamabad's move to approach ICJ comes days after it suffered a massive setback at the UNSC. (File Photo/ Getty)

Islamabad: Days after facing a major embarrassment at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Pakistan government on Tuesday decided to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir by the Modi government earlier this month. The announcement regarding the same was made by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Islamabad's move to approach ICJ comes days after it suffered a massive setback at the UNSC where its proposal to have a closed door discussion over Kashmir issue failed miserably. "We have decided to take Kashmir case to the International Court of Justice," Qureshi told Pakistan-based news channel ARY News TV, as per a report. "The decision was taken after considering all legal aspects," he was quoted as saying. Baffled over India's move to revoke special status of Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories (UTs), Qureshi had last week stated that Islamabad is seeking options for taking up the Kashmir issue at the ICJ. The rare closed-door consultations on Kashmir by the Security Council ended without any outcome or statement from the powerful 15-nation UN organ, dealing a huge snub to Pakistan and its all-weather ally China to internationalise the issue, which an overwhelming majority stressed is a bilateral matter between New Delhi and Islamabad. Majority of the 15 members said there should not be any statement or outcome issued after the consultations and their will prevailed, leaving China to come out and make a statement in its national capacity followed by Pakistan. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin in his remarks to the media said that he will present New Delhi's national position too "if national statements try to masquerade as the will of the international community," a reference to statements by China and Pakistan. ALSO READ | Soldier Killed, 4 Injured In Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch As Pakistan Violates Ceasefire Along LoC India has been maintaining that the revoking of Jammu and Kashmir's special status was 'entirely an internal matter' with 'no external ramifications' and firmly told Pakistan that it has to stop terrorism to start talks, after the UN Security Council meeting.  The government has also made it clear that its decisions on Kashmir as an internal issue and it does not affect the territory currently occupied by Pakistan (PoK). Meanwhile US President Donald Trump urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan to work towards reducing tension in the region over Kashmir, describing the situation as 'tough'. Trump asked Khan over phone on Monday to 'moderate rhetoric' with India, soon after a 30-minute conversation with Modi, during which the Indian leader raised the issue 'extreme rhetoric and incitement to anti-India violence' by leaders of Pakistan.