A clearly rattled and despondent Pakistan desperate following reproach from the international community for abetting terror from its soil, has once again reached out to the United Nations hoping to find some solace.
Pakistan, which has stepped up its terror offensive since India’s surgical strikes, has in turn blamed India at the United Nations for closing the doors on any bilateral engagement with it.
Raking up the Kashmir issue with a top UN official here on Wednesday, Tariq Fatemi, special assistant to Premier Nawaz Sharif on Foreign Affairs, said that the world body has a ‘moral responsibility’ to play its role in de-escalating tensions between the two countries.
According to a press release issued by the Pakistan's mission to the United Nations on Tuesday, Fatemi told top UN leaders that Indian forces had stepped up ceasefire violations along the LoC and the working boundary in order to divert international attention from the alleged human rights atrocities, particularly the targeting of civilians in Kashmir.
"India had also closed the doors on any bilateral engagement. In this situation, the UN had a moral responsibility to call for ending human rights violations in Kashmir, play its role in the resolution of this long festering dispute and help in immediately de-escalating tensions", he said, according to the release.
Fatemi, during his day-long visit to the city, met UN Secretary General-designate Antonio Guterres, Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson and Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffery Feltman.
Accompanied by Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi, Fatemi said that Islamabad expected the UN to play its role in ensuring peace and stability in the South Asian region, especially in the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
He said while Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had reached out to India and made efforts to develop a mutually beneficial relationship, the efforts were not being reciprocated by New Delhi.
According to MHA data, Pakistan has violated ceasefire 437 times along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir till November this year in which 37 people were killed and 179 suffered injuries.
MoS for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir yesterday said that 27,449 people living along the border in Jammu and Kashmir were temporarily shifted to safer places due to ceasefire violations after the surgical strikes. Of them, around 6,000 people stayed in relief camps while the remaining stayed with their relatives.
Of the total ceasefire violations, 216 incidents were reported along the LoC and 221 incidents along the International Border till November this year, he said, adding that among the dead, 12 were civilians, eight were Army personnel and five were BSF personnel.
There were 405 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border in 2015 in which 26 people were killed and 97 others were injured.
Fatemi also briefed the UN officials about alleged human rights violations by Indian forces on the Kashmiri people, saying efforts to quash a popular and indigenous uprising in Kashmir had led to the killing of over a hundred people and injuries to thousands.
The release said that the UN leadership called for the resumption of dialogue and de-escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan adding that Eliasson expressed concern at the regional situation and called for the lowering of tensions.
On Afghanistan, Fatemi said Pakistan was ready to play its part for peace and stability in the country.
