Pak writes to UN about India's plan to build wall along LoC

Pakistan has complained to the UN Security Council about India's plans to construct a wall along the LoC allegedly to convert it "into a quasi international border", drawing a strong reaction from India which said it will respond to this at the "appropriate time".

Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi has written two letters dated September 4 and 9 to the UN Security Council.

In the September 9 letter to President of the Security Council, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, Lodhi expressed "deep concern" at the plan by India to construct a 10 meter- high and 135 feet-wide embankment (wall) along the 197- kilometre Working Boundary between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan.

India said one of Pakistan's letters to the UNSC is based on a "submision" made by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters here yesterday that India is aware of the two letters that have been written.

"I believe the second letter (dated September 9) is based on some kind of submission made by Salahuddin, who is a person that we consider to be a global terrorist. At the appropriate time we will respond to this," Swarup said.

The first letter dated September 4 states that there was no bilateral dialogue, Swarup said adding that the BSF and Park Rangers have already met.

"So that letter itself has contradicted itself that there is no dialogue. There has been a dialogue," Swarup said.

Swarup asked that "has any action been taken by the UN on these letters. That is the first question. If there is action taken by the UN we will respond appropriately. If there is no action taken by the UN then this will mean that nobody has taken cognizance," of the letters, Swarup said.

In the letter, Lodhi said that Pakistan "considers the embankment a permanent structure that will bring about a material change in the territory in violation inter alia of... Security Council Resolution...of 1948.

"The State of Jammu & Kashmir is internationally recognised disputed territory with a number of United Nations Security Council resolutions on the official status of Jammu & Kashmir awaiting implementation," Lodhi said.

"The Government of Pakistan believes that the embankment will create a fait accompli aimed at permanently creating a physical and psychological barrier for the people of Jammu & Kashmir, who are yet to exercise their right to self- determination, as enshrined in Security Council Resolutions.

"Pakistan considers this an Indian effort aimed at converting the Line of Control and the Working Boundary into a quasi international border. This is an unacceptable breach of UN Security Council Resolutions," Lodhi writes in the letter.

Incidentally, Salahuddin has also said in a statement that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should raise the issue of India constructing the wall during his address to the United Nations and to "make the member countries aware" about India's moves.

Lodhi said in the letter that Pakistan has already formally lodged a protest with the Indian Government.

"We hope that the Security Council will also take note of this serious situation and urge India to refrain from undertaking actions that could bring about a material change in the situation on the ground, in violation of Security Council Resolutions," she said.