UNGA president urges no change in J&K status till dispute resolved

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Volkan Bozkir said on Thursday the status of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) territory must not be changed, as he urged India and Pakistan to pursue the path of peaceful resolution of the decades old issue.

Addressing a joint presser with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the UNGA President said the resolution of Jammu and Kashmir lay with the implementation of the UN Charter and through peaceful means as decided between Pakistan and India under the Simla Agreement.

The UNGA President urged the parties on both sides to “refrain from changing the status of the dispute” otherwise. Bozkir, who arrived here on Wednesday on a three-day visit, focused his news conference on the issues of Palestine, Jammu and Kashmir, Afghanistan, and the role of UN in handling the conflicts. On Palestine, he said the Palestine issue worldwide had received more “political win” than the J&K dispute and suggested Pakistan to bring the issue of the latter to the UN platform “more strongly”.

Bozkir said: “We have captured the momentum and the eye of the storm. When the political structure is ready for something, nothing will stop it.” He lauded Qureshi for “representing Pakistan in a good way” to highlight the Palestine issue internationally, joined by his other counterparts. “[I] am witnessed that in last UN meeting on Palestine, your leadership was very important that moved towards success,” he said.

As President of UNGA, he said, it was his duty to remain impartial, however he said that “impartiality could be defined” in other words. “For the case like Palestine, I think that helping people and giving them a just solution to their problem is impartiality,” he said.

Also, the goal of ending occupation and achieving two independent viable states side by side in mutual recognition to the pre-1969 settlement is important, he added.

The UNGA President said Pakistan along with Turkey, was playing an important role in the resumption of peace in Afghanistan, which could have its effect on international and regional basis. He termed Pakistan his “second home” and said the love between Pakistan and Turkey was not due to any financial reasons, but “a connection of hearts”.

He drew attention towards his wearing a green face mask and necktie, as a gesture to honour Pakistan’s national colour and flag. He mentioned the charisma of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the support he gained at international fora, which he said was important for Pakistan. Bozkir also appreciated Khan’s tree planting campaigns and the ambitious 10 Billion Tree project.

On the ongoing UN Security Council reforms, he stressed a balance among the UNGA, UNSC and the Secretary General. Earlier, Qureshi and Bozkir held a meeting, where they discussed matters of international and regional importance, including the Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir issues.

Qureshi appreciated the efforts of the UNGA President to convene an emergency session of the General Assembly on Palestine. He said ceasefire was the first step towards stopping the Israeli atrocities. However, he said, the only just solution to resolve the issues of Palestinian and Kashmir was implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions.

Qureshi said establishment of peace in the Middle East without resolving the Palestinian issue on a permanent basis was not possible. Similarly, he said, without resolving the Kashmir issue, there can be no peace in South Asia.

He said Pakistan wanted peace in Afghanistan and intended to continue playing a conciliatory role in the Afghan peace process. The Foreign Minister appreciated Bozkir’s initiative “Vaccine for All” to overcome the coronavirus pandemic challenge and said for its complete eradication, it was necessary to make everyone safe.