Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister keeps up tradition of raising Kashmir at UN

By Arul Louis
United Nations, Sep 22 (IANS) Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday kept up the annual ritual of focusing on Kashmir during that country’s leaders’ annual speeches at the high-level General Assembly meeting.

"The UN Security Council must secure the implementation of its resolution on Kashmir," he said, asserting that India has "evaded implementation of the Security Council's resolutions" calling for a plebiscite.

In fact, it was Pakistan that refused to comply with the terms set for the plebiscite, thus nullifying it.

The 1948 Council resolution made the withdrawal of Pakistani "tribesmen" and troops from Kashmir a precondition for a plebiscite. Because of Islamabad’s refusal to comply with that provision, a plebiscite could not be held and India maintains, Kashmiris have expressed their will through participating in democratic elections.

Kakar qualified Islamabad’s opposition to terrorism by giving a free pass to those he considered involved in "freedom struggles" – that in Pakistan’s view would include terrorists against India.

There was a need to "distinguish genuine freedom struggles from terrorism", he claimed.

This is the main roadblock to the adoption of a comprehensive international convention against terrorism. Kakar said.

"The UN military observer group for India and Pakistan should be reinforced."

He asserted that "Pakistan believes that region develops together therefore Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbors, including India".

"Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India," he said.

He appealed to "global powers" asking them to "convince New Delhi to accept Pakistan's offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons".

Kakar alleged that an example of "the rising threat posed by far-right extremist and fascist groups" were "Hindutva-inspired extremist, threatening genocide against India's Muslims and Christians alike".

He was silent on the attacks on Christians and Hindus in Pakistan by Islamists or the blasphemy laws that are often the basis for the attacks.

Kakar also opposed adding any new permanent members to the Security Council in a reform process, saying: "Pakistan does not believe in elitism with the comity of nations".

(Arul Louis can be contacted at [email protected] and followed at @arulouis)