India on Friday defended its decision to scrap provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying that it was an internal matter. India also snubbed Pakistan for interfering in the internal matters of the country, saying that Pakistan was misleading the world.
The rare closed-door meeting was called by China at the request of Pakistan. The meeting was open to only five permanent and 10 non-permanent members, and both India and Pakistan were not part of the meeting.
#WATCH: @AkbaruddinIndia, India’s Ambassador to UN says,”so, let me start by coming across to you and shaking hands. All three of you,” to a Pakistani journalist when asked,”when will you begin a dialogue with Pakistan?” pic.twitter.com/ZDKqkgAnBk
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) August 16, 2019
Ties between India and Pakistan have deteriorated ever since India revoked Article 370 and bifurcated the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two separate Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Soon after the announcement of the decision, Pakistan expelled the Indian High Commissioner and downgraded diplomatic ties with India. A host of inter-country bus and railway services have been suspended by Pakistan.
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UN Security Council ‘closed consultations’ UPDATES:
* India’s Ambassador & Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin addressed media after the UNSC consultations. “These have no external ramifications, the recent decisions taken by the Government of India and our legislative bodies are intended to ensure that good governance is promoted, social-economic development is enhanced for our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said.
* Syed Akbaruddin said that India maintains its stance that all issues between India and Pakistan or any other country will be resolved bilaterally and peacefully. He, however, stressed that Pakistan has failed to honour bilateral pacts.
* The Indian ambassador to the UN said that some elements are trying to project an alarmist view in Kashmir. Before calling revocation of Article 370 an internal matter of India, Akbaruddin said that the Indian government is ensuring good governance and development.
* China’s UN Ambassador says UN Security Council members generally think India and Pakistan should refrain from taking unilateral action over Kashmir.
* Speaking after the UNSC consultations, a Chinese envoy said that China is deeply concerned about the unilateral action taken on Jammu and Kashmir by India. India Action has also challenged China’s sovereignty, he added.
* Before expressing concern on the Kashmir issue, China has called it a bilateral issue.
* Before heading into the meeting, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy said Kashmir “is a bilateral issue” between India and Pakistan and “we favor bilateral track between India and Pakistan.”
* Polyanskiy further added that Russia continues to consistently promote normalisation of India-Pakistan ties. “We hope that existing divergences around Kashmir will be settled bilaterally by political and diplomatic means only,” he said.
* China, which is an all-weather ally of Pakistan, had asked for ‘closed consultations’ in the UN Security Council on the Indian government’s recent decision to revoke Article 370 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
* Russia has also stated that it has no hidden agenda as it is good friends with both India and Pakistan. It further asserted that it will continue to engage with Islamabad and New Delhi in order to help both of them come to terms and have good neighbourly relations.
(With Agency Inputs)