‘India preparing ground for Article 370’: Pak FM told UN last week on Kashmir issue

Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi last week wrote a letter to the United Nations in which it warned that India was “preparing ground” to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Foreign Office has said.

The Foreign Office on Monday night issued the text of the letter Qureshi sent on August 1 to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, President of the UN Security Council and President of the UN General Assembly.

Qureshi in the letter highlighted the “deteriorating” human rights situation in Kashmir, alleged violation of ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and India ending Kashmir’s special constitutional status.

“India is preparing ground to abolish Article 35A of its Constitution as a first step, followed by the revocation of Article 370,” he wrote.

The Indian government on Monday revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The Rajya Sabha approved the resolution abrogating Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir and a bill to bifurcate the state into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Qureshi said Pakistan has consistently opposed any steps to “alter the demographic structure” of Kashmir.

These Indian moves are also a clear breach of the UN Security Council Resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, particularly with regard to realisation of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiris, he said.

He reiterated Pakistan’s call to establish a “UN Fact-Finding Mission” to visit Kashmir to assess the on-ground situation.

He said that Pakistan is of the view that “the steps being taken by India, including additional deployment of troops have the real potential to further lead to the deteriorating human rights situation in Kashmir as well as carry serious implications for peace and security in South Asia.”

He urged the UN to immediately take note of the “serious situation”.

Pakistan Foreign Office on Monday summoned Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria and conveyed a “strong demarche on the announcements made and actions taken” by the Government of India.