Kashmir: the buck stops with UN

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday reminded the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) of its responsibility to play a role on the contentious issue of Kashmir so that the world could see some progress on the issue.

During a meeting with the UNGA President Maria Fernanda Espinosa at the Foreign Office, Qureshi suggested constitution of a commission of inquiry to investigate the worst human rights situation in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) and present facts.

Qureshi said it’s time that the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir were implemented in letter and spirit for resolving the longstanding issue. He told Ms Maria that it was also crucial to implement the June 2018 report of the UN Office of the High Commission of Human Rights, which had shaken the world’s conscience on the situation in Indian Held Kashmir.

Kashmir was atop the agenda when the UNGA president called on Prime Minister Imran Khan at the PM Office after meeting with Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Qureshi, together with Foreign Secretary Ms. Tehmina Janjua and Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, was also present during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Earlier Ms. Espinosa held talks with Qureshi at the Foreign Office and together they held a joint media briefing. “The implementation of UN Security Council’s resolution should be made a must in the light of the Kashmir issue,” Qureshi told the visiting dignitary.

“We can only find a solution to the world problems through joint efforts." Without naming India, Qureshi pointed out that Pakistan was a peaceful country that wanted to remain peaceful with its neighbours, but it could not ignore Kashmir and the negation of human rights there needing the UN intervention on an ‘urgent’ basis.

He also mentioned the daily loss of lives, destruction and human rights violations along the Line of Control. Later, in a Tweet, Espinosa did not make any mention of Kashmir but said it was a pleasure to meet with Foreign Minister Qureshi and, “I commended him for Pakistan's support for multilateralism, their contributions to @UNPeacekeeping, and their generous support in hosting (Afghan) refugees.”

She told the media that the UN appreciated Pakistan’s active and vibrant role in realisation of goals of the United Nations. She mentioned the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees, which was discussed by both sides earlier.

"I think Pakistan needs to be congratulated for its generosity in hosting millions of Afghan refugees in this country," she said. The UNGA president noted that hosting refugees was a "very important burden" on the fiscal architecture of a country and required a lot of investment and resources.

"Countries that have this generosity should also be compensated, acknowledged and recognised," she said. She thanked Qureshi for the fruitful conversations and said it was an honour to visit Pakistan and to meet a new government that was "extremely committed" to sustainable development, strengthening multilateralism, as well as to the strengthening and revitalisation of the UN and its system.

Espinosa also commended Pakistan's role in supporting the Afghan peace process. “The two dignitaries discussed a range of issues including recent trends and developments at the global and regional levels. Both agreed that the United Nations remained an indispensable institution for advancing dialogue, cooperation and pursuing collective solutions to global challenges,” says the Foreign Office.

Both sides also exchanged views and noted convergence in the priorities being pursued by the General Assembly president and Pakistan government’s people-centric agenda. The two sides had useful discussions on the ongoing process of UN Security Council reform and the need for this process to be led by member states and consensus-based way forward.

The foreign minister also briefed the UNGA president on the steps taken by Pakistan to pursue a vision of partnership for peace and shared prosperity. Afghanistan was another point of discussion and the UN dignitary remarked, "I think a prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan would benefit the entire region”.

The foreign minister updated Ms. Maria on Pakistan’s efforts on the Afghan front, saying that Pakistan was "actively engaged" with Afghanistan to find a durable solution to the Afghan conflict and that Islamabad believed in an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

The foreign minister reiterated that peace in Afghanistan was also in Pakistan's best interest. During the meeting, Qureshi told her about the laws passed in recent years for protection of women's rights and to raise their socioeconomic profile in line with the sustainable development goals, as well as the role of Pakistani troops in international peacekeeping.

Impact of climate change was another issue Ms. Espinosa touched upon. Qureshi told the UN official that the PTI government will plant 10 billion trees in the next five years to alleviate the adverse impacts of climate change.

During her five-day visit, the UNGA president will meet President Arif Alvi, representatives of the UN and civil society, members of the Women Parliamentary Caucus, chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme and visit Pakistan’s Peacekeeping Training Centre. Espinosa will also address members of academia, think tanks and students.