Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto confessed that his country has failed to urge the UN to pay attention to the Kashmir issue due to India’s massive influence and diplomacy.
He acknowledged that Islamabad has an ‘uphill task’ to put the Kashmir issue at the centre of the UN’s agenda, due to strong objections from India. In his subsequent reference to the latter, he fumbled, addressing India first as ‘our friend’ before calling it a ‘neighbouring country.’
He was addressing a press conference at the United Nations. “You’re also right to note that we face a particularly uphill task to try and get Kashmir into the centre of the agenda at the United Nations,” he opined while responding to a query that compared the Palestinian and Kashmir’s current situations.
“And whenever the issue of Kashmir is brought up, our friends within, with our friend, neighbouring countries, strongly object, vociferously object and they perpetuate a post-fact narrative where they try to claim that this is not a dispute for the United Nations, that this is not a disputed territory recognized for the international community,” the foreign minister asserted. He added, that they (India) insist that their usurpation of Kashmir should be endorsed.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader continued, “while we do find it difficult to get the truth across, we are persistent in our efforts.” He claimed, that he always makes an effort to bring up both the predicament of the people of Kashmir and Palestine whenever possible, whether it be in the UN Security Council or at other forums.
“I think your parallel is very justified. There are many similarities between the plight of the people of Kashmir and the plight of the people of Palestine. I think it’s fair to say that both issues remain unaddressed by the United Nations and we’d like to see an extra focus not only on Palestine but also on Kashmir,” he alleged.
Zardari was speaking to the media on the outcomes of the Women in Islam Conference and Commemoration of the First Islamophobia Day.
India recently rebuked the FM for bringing up the Kashmir issue at the UNSC debate on ‘Women, Peace and Security.’ Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, referred to his remarks as ‘malicious and misleading propaganda’ that ‘is undeserving of even receiving a response.’
