Pakistan To Bring UP Kashmir Issue At UNHRC Today; India All Set To Counter It

Both India and Pakistan are slated to make statements on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

File Photo/ AFP

New Delhi: Pakistan is slated to raise the Kashmir issue today during the ongoing 42nd UN Human Rights Session, after failing to get international traction on the issue from countries individually. Both India and Pakistan are slated to make statements on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will make his statement in General debate under Agenda item 2 on oral update by the High Commissioner at 15:00 IST. India Secretary East Statement is expected before 19:00 hrs IST. India will exercise a right of reply between 20:30-21:00 IST hrs. A high-level delegation led by Ajay Bisaria, the India High Commissioner to Pakistan who was sent back after Pakistan downgraded ties, is already in Geneva to hold meetings with groups and representatives of various countries to counter Pakistan's allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir. Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary East is also in the delegation. The representatives had recently met the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and briefed her about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. Pakistan is sending its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to get the issue raised at the Geneva-based UNHRC. The country has been desperately trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue, ever since the government of India abolished its special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state in August. The intent is to get the world human rights body to make some critical remarks against India by particularly citing the restrictions imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the historic step with regard to it was taken through a Parliamentary process. India will highlight that Pakistan is unnecessarily trying to rake up an internal matter of India at an international forum. India is expected to assert its well-articulated position that restrictions were imposed to save human lives and cite the record that not a single civilian has died there in the last one month in any police action. India is also likely to highlight how cross-border terrorism sponsored and nurtured by Pakistan has caused bloodshed and hampered development in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan's move to take the issue to the UNHRC comes after facing rebuff from most of the countries to its attempts to rope in third-party intervention to make India revoke its decision of August 7. It virtually pleaded with countries like the US and Russia and also tried to get support from the Gulf nations by using the Muslim card. However, all nations maintained that they would not like to get involved, with most saying that it is India's internal matter and some others saying that any issue over Jammu and Kashmir should be resolved bilaterally by India and Pakistan. The biggest shocker for Pakistan was the attitude of the Gulf countries and the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), which have not fallen for Pakistan's bait. (additional  inputs from IANS)