Pak accuses India of scuttling any efforts for constructive dialogue in neighbourhood

Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday accused India of consistently scuttling any efforts for a constructive and meaningful dialogue in its neighbourhood.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri made the remarks in response to media queries on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s tweet regarding India’s priorities during the Presidency of the UN Security Council.

Jaishankar spelled out three key priorities for India during its presidency: voice of moderation; advocate of dialogue; and proponent of international law.

India, currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2021-22 tenure, has assumed the rotating Presidency of the powerful UN organ for the month of August.

”As we take over UNSC Presidency for August, look forward to working productively with other members. India will always be a voice of moderation, an advocate of dialogue and a proponent of international law,” Jaishankar tweeted on Sunday.

Reacting to Jaishankar’s tweet, FO spokesperson Chaudhri said, ”Before preaching moderation to the world, India must set its own house in order.” He claimed that India has consistently scuttled any efforts for a constructive and meaningful dialogue in its own neighbourhood.

Chaudhri said that India’s actions since August 5, 2019 were in “blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, UNSC resolutions and the fourth Geneva Convention”.

The Indian government abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated it into two Union territories.

India has maintained that the issue related to Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was entirely an internal matter of the country.

On Monday, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN and President of Security Council for the month of August Ambassador T S Tirumurti said India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and the onus is on Islamabad to create a conducive atmosphere that is free of terror, hostility and violence.

”This should be resolved in an atmosphere which is free of terror, hostility and violence and therefore right now, the onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible and verifiable action not to allow any territory under their control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India. Pakistan must prove its consistency between its words and its actions. This is our stand,” he said.

India began its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC on January 1.