UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan and India once again crossed swords in the United Nations on Friday, hours after Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar reminded the UN Security Council that it still had an unfinished business, implementing its own resolutions for holding a plebiscite in the disputed territory.

The Indians were particularly upset with his description of India’s grave human rights abuses in the occupied territory as a ‘genocide’. Later, at a news conference Mr Kakar defended his choice of word, adding that he would use it again if he had to.

“Genocide is a suitable word to describe it if it is committed, not to call it a genocide will be a crime,” he said. “India has been using it as a tool for systematic elimination of the people of Kashmir.”

Mr Kakar said that “no other word can describe what the Kashmiris are facing. While they are being killed and raped, I cannot sit here and wonder if the word genocide may hurt someone’s feelings.”

On Friday evening, Indian delegate Petal Gahlot reacted to the prime minister’s reference to the situation in held Kashmir during the general debate at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

She claimed that the disputed Himalayan state was an integral part of India and “Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our domestic matters.” Ms Gahlot also accused Pakistan of involvement in terrorism and urged Islamabad to concern itself with “deplorable” conditions of minorities and women in the country.

“In order for there to be peace in South Asia, the actions that Pak­istan needs to take are threefold first stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately,” she said.

“Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation. And third stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan.”

Ms Gahlot repeated India’s claim that Jammu and Kashmir were an integral part of India and Pakistan had no “locus standi” to make statements regarding India’s domestic matters.

Pakistan’s delegate Saima Saleem hit back, rejecting her claim that Jammu and Kashmir were India’s integral part. “It never was, it never will be,” she said.

UN Security Council resolutions that the prime minister referred to in his speech, affirm that the final disposition of the territory will be decided by a plebiscite, which India accepted under Article 25 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Ms Saleem pointed out that India was refusing to implement the UNSC resolutions “through fraud and force” and suppressed Kashmiri demands for the right to self-determination by imposing occupation and, on August 5, 2019, annexing Jammu and Kashmir. India had brutalised the entire Kashmiri population, the Pakistani delegate said, adding: “A classic colonial-settler project is underway.”

Published in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023