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‘President’s remarks were taken out of context’: UNGA chief ‘saddened’ over India’s reaction to his Kashmir statements

United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir is “saddened by India’s reaction to his statements on Kashmir, according to his Deputy Spokesperson Amy Quantrill, who has asserted that they were taken out of context.

She said at a news briefing on Tuesday, “The President was saddened to see a press statement from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, which portrays his remarks on Jammu and Kashmir from a selective perspective, while they are consistent with the longstanding UN position regarding this issue,” IANS reported.

She added, “It is regrettable that the President’s remarks were taken out of context.”

Referring to Kashmir at a news conference in Islamabad last week, Bozkir said, “I think it is the duty, especially Pakistan’s, to bring this to the United Nation platform more strongly.”

The UNGA President Volkan Bozkir, last week, said that it was Pakistan’s duty to bring the issue of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the United Nations platform with more vigour.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad along with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi after their meeting today, the UNGA president lamented what he said was a lack of large political will for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute compared to the Palestinian issue which had more will behind it, the report said.

“I think it is the duty, especially Pakistan’s, to bring this [issue] to the United Nation platform more strongly,” said Bozkir, adding that he agreed that the Palestinian issue and the Kashmir issue were of the same age.

He called on all parties to refrain from changing the status of Jammu and Kashmir and said a solution was to be found through peaceful means in accordance with the UN charter and UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions as agreed in the Simla Agreement between Pakistan and India.

Addressing the press conference, FM Qureshi said that he had briefed the president on the “dire situation” in Indian-occupied Kashmir and drawn his attention to the similarities between the Palestinian and Kashmir issues. He highlighted the common demands of the people and said both issues had been UNSC agenda items for decades.

“Pay attention. These are international obligations. The UN must play that role of responsibility which is due,” stressed the foreign minister.

“The Kashmir dispute is a reality and no one can deny it or remove it from the UNSC agenda.”

According to FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudri, Bozkir reiterated the “UN position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is governed by the UN Charter and relevant UNSC resolutions, calling for a ‘free and impartial’ plebiscite under the UN auspices.”

 

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