United Nations Security Council held a ground-breaking closed meeting on the India-Pakistan Kashmir crisis Friday Aug. 16, 2019 at UN world headquarter in New York.  But no concrete action was taken by the Security Council.

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  –  NEW  YORK –   Even before the highly-anticipated United Nations Security Council meeting on the India-Pakistan Kashmir crisis began Friday morning, many were fed up that the nearly century-old  bitter dispute remains unresolved by the powerful world body. The Security Council “needs to wake up” and resolve the crisis between the two nuclear-armed rivals,  a Pakistani protester said during a rally held across the street from the UN.   Friday’s Security Council meeting was called after China, a permanent member of the UNSC and close ally of Pakistan, had asked for “closed consultations” in the council on India integrating Kashmir more closely with the rest of the country.  The last time the UNSC held consultations on Kashmir was in 1965.  And India and Pakistan has not even been actively debated as a subject before the  Council since 1971.  In Kashmir, some four million people, the majority Muslims with a sprinkling of Sikhs, live day-to-day under the oppressive Indian military occupation.

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  Pakistani-Americans rally in front of the UN world headquarters in Manhattan Friday Aug. 16, 2019 as the Security Council met on the Kashmir situation.

DIPLOMATIC  TIMES Video /   Pro-Kashmir supporters held rally across the street from the  United Nations Friday Aug. 16, 2019. 

DIPLOMATIC TIMES Video /  Dmitry Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations outside UN Security Council chamber before early Friday morning meeting Aug. 16, 2019 on Kashmir.

QUESTION:  ‘What do you hope to get out of this meeting?’

“Some understanding of what’s happening. That is what closed consultations are for. We favor bilateral track to India-Pakistan.   It’s a bilateral issue.”

-Dmitry Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to  UN  told reporters ahead  of the  SC session. 

“We are friends and good partners with both India and Pakistan and both peoples. We have no hidden agendas. So we will open-heartedly continue to engage with Islamabad and New Delhi in order to help both of them come to terms and have good neighborly relations.”

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  UN guard  in front  of Security Council chamber

UN SECURITY COUNCIL  TAKES NO CONCRETE ACTON ON  KASHMIR – FAVORS BILATERAL INDIA-PAKISTAN SOLUTION

Meanwhile,  when the Security Council  meeting got underway, considering the volatile situation surrounding Kashmir on Friday, addressing the issue in a meeting focused solely on the dispute, within the UN body dedicated to resolving matters of international peace and security, for the first time since 1965.  After the highly-anticipated Security Council meeting was over after approximately 90 minutes,   it was disclosed that  the Council  essentially advised  India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute bilaterally.  There will not be a formal follow-up meeting,  or emergency session  on the India-Pakistan situation, even though both countries are mad at each other, and are armed to the teeth with Nuclear Weapons of Mass Destruction.  

Zhang Jun, the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations on Kashmir- Security Council Media Stakeout Aug. 16, 2019.

The Chinese Ambassador, Zhang Jun, spoke to reporters outside the chamber following the closed SC session, urging both India and Pakistan to refrain from taking any unilateral action which might further aggravate what was an already “tense and very dangerous” situation.

“China is deeply concerned about the current situation  and opposes any unilateral action that  complicates the situation. and we call on the relevant parties to exercise  restraint. China  hosts the view that the issue of Kashmir is an  issue left from history between India and Pakistan. According to relevant Security Council resolutions the status of Kashmir is undecided and is an internationally recognized dispute. The Kashmir issue should be resolved properly through peaceful means in accordance with  the UN Charter, the relevant security council resolutions and bilateral agreements. This represents the  international.  communities consensus. “

-Zhang Jun, the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations on Kashmir

REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN POSITION:

Maleeha Lohdi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations,  gives post-Security Council meeting media statement on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir Aug. 16,  2019.

Pakistan’s Ambassador, Maleeha Lodhi said the meeting had allowed “the voice of the people of the occupied Kashmir” to be heard “in the highest diplomatic forum of the world.”   She argued that “the fact that this meeting took place, is testimony to the fact that this is an international dispute.”   She added that  “as far as my country is concerned, we stand ready for a peaceful settlement of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I think today’s meeting nullifies India’s claim that Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter for India. Today the whole world is discussing the occupied state and the situation there.” 

-Pakistan’s UN Ambassador, Maleeha Lodhi

INDIA  STATEMENT AFTER SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING ON KASHMIR:

India’s UN Ambassador, Syed Akbaruddin,  delivers media statement after Security Council meeting on Kashmir

“Our national position was, and remains, that matters related to Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, are entirely an internal matter of India…The recent decisions taken by the Government of India and our legislative bodies are intended to ensure that good governance is promoted, socio-economic development is enhanced for our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. “India remains committed to ensure that the situation there remains calm and peaceful. We are committed to all the agreements that we have signed on this issue.” 

-India’s UN Ambassador, Syed Akbaruddin 

But without naming names, India’s Ambassador  stated that    “of particular concern is that one state is using terminology of jihad against and promoting violence in India, including by their leaders”, adding that India was committed to the principle “that all issues between India and Pakistan, as well as India and any other country, will be resolved bilaterally, peacefully, and in a manner that behooves normal inter-state relations between countries.” 

Indian Representative to UN Explains India position  about UNSC Meeting over Kashmir

It is apparent that the UN Security Council is reluctant to get too deeply involved in the India-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir and took the position Friday of throwing the issue back to the two South Asia nations to resolve bilaterally.  But there appears to be a stalemate, as India has  made it clear it will not further negotiate with Pakistan until Islamabad eradicates terrorism.  New Delhi accuses Pakistan of backing militant Islamist groups in Kashmir.   However, the Security Council cannot afford to remain on the sidelines of this dangerous India-Pakistan dispute. After all, it is not like two children fighting playing with toy guns. India and Pakistan are two stubborn  grownups with Nuclear Weapons.  The Security Council must not fall asleep on the issue. As one protester said…it is time for the Security Council to wake up.