Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri. Courtesy Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Spokesperson says ‘India-Pakistan’ issue will remain on U.N. Security Council agenda till resolution of Kashmir dispute
The latest tensions between China and India along the Line of Actual Control validate Pakistan’s concerns about Delhi’s expansionist aims, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafiz Chaudhri said on Thursday.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, he said that Pakistan had been repeatedly emphasizing that India’s unilateral actions in the region, particularly since its abrogation of India-held Kashmir’s special constitutional status on Aug. 5, 2019, were endangering regional peace and security. He said that the ongoing tensions between China and India demonstrate Delhi’s belligerence, adding that this was a major impediment to resolving bilateral issues.
Pakistan believes, said the spokesperson, that the border issues between China and India should be resolved in line with existing understandings and bilateral agreements through established mechanisms. “Peace and tranquility should be maintained in the region,” he stressed.
To a question, Chaudhri said that India must accept that the “India-Pakistan Question” would remain on the agenda of the U.N. Security Council until the Jammu and Kashmir dispute had been resolved in line with relevant U.N. Security Council Resolutions. He said India could easily get the dispute removed from the agenda if it just let Kashmiris exercise their inalienable right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under the U.N. auspices.
Responding to another question, Chaudhri said Pakistan strongly condemns Indian Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat’s provocative statement against Pakistan, adding it had exposed how the BJP-RSS mindset of extremist ideology, hegemonic ambitions and obsession with Pakistan had permeated Indian state institutions.
He said that is was unfortunate that the Indian government, in response to any geopolitical, economic or military setback, doubled down on its mistakes and rhetoric instead of learning from its errors and course correcting.
On Pakistan and China cooperation, Chaudhri said the two nations remain “all-weather strategic cooperative partners” that are committed to promoting peace, stability and development in the region.
The spokesperson concluded his briefing by urging the international community to play its role in ensuring India complied with all its obligations under international law, the U.N. Charter and the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.