Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday urged the UN to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir and warned India against pursuing the doctrine of “limited war” against his country, saying it will evoke a strong and “matching response”.
Abbasi in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly, raked up the Kashmir issue, alleging that the struggle of the people in the Valley is being “brutally suppressed” by India.
In his anti-India rhetoric, Abbasi accused India of indulging in terror activities against Pakistan and warned of a “matching response” if it “ventures across the LoC (Line of Control)” or acts upon its “doctrine of limited war” against his country.
“The Kashmir dispute should be resolved justly, peacefully and expeditiously. As India is unwilling to resume the peace process with Pakistan, we call on the Security Council to fulfil its obligation to secure the implementation of its own resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
He said the UN Secretary General should appoint a special envoy on Kashmir. “His mandate should flow from the longstanding but unimplemented resolutions of the Security Council.”
He lamented that despite over 600 ceasefire violations on the India-Pakistan border since January this year, Pakistan has acted with restraint.
“But if India does venture across the LoC, or acts upon its doctrine of limited war against Pakistan, it will evoke a strong and matching response,” he said.
The Pakistani prime minister said the “legitimate struggle for self-determination” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir continues to be “brutally suppressed” by Indian security forces.
Abbasi, who assumed office few months ago, mentioned Kashmir a total of 17 times and India 14 times among other things in his speech.
He also claimed that from day one of its creation, Pakistan has faced “unremitting hostility” from its eastern neighbour (India).
“India refuses to implement the unanimous resolutions of the UN Security Council, which mandate a UN supervised plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to freely decide their destiny,” he said.
Abbasi demanded an international investigation into the alleged atrocities in Kashmir and sending of an inquiry commission to the Valley.
He alleged that the Indian security forces’ “brutalities” clearly constitute war crimes and violate the Geneva Conventions.
However, he said that Pakistan remains open to resuming a comprehensive dialogue with India to address all outstanding issues, especially Kashmir and discuss measures to maintain peace and security in the region.
“This dialogue must be accompanied by an end to India’s campaign of subversion and state sponsored terrorism against Pakistan, including from across our western border,” Abbasi said.
