Pakistan Plans To Raise Kashmir Issue At UNHRC: Foreign Office

Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said on Wednesday that consultation was going on various options including to use the forum of the UN Human Rights Council.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI / AFP)

New Delhi: Pakistan has planned to raise the Kashmir issue at the United Nation’s Human Rights Council, a day after it decided to take the issue to the International Court of Justice. Foreign Office spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said on Wednesday that consultation was going on various options including to use the forum of the UN Human Rights Council. Briefing the Senate Committee on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs, Faisal said that another platform available for Pakistan was to raise the issue in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's foreign ministers' meeting. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday held a telephonic conversation with his Norwegian counterpart Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide and discussed the Kashmir issue. Qureshi urged Norway to play its role and impress upon India to ease the restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir. Foreign Minister Soreide stated that Norway would urge both India and Pakistan to deescalate the situation and ease tensions. Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories, evoking strong reactions from Pakistan. India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality. (with inputs from PTI)