JOIN USPak to discuss with US India's "illegal" Kashmir moves
Pakistan's Parliament will meet on Tuesday to decide its future course of action on Kashmir, even as the government of the neighbouring country already threatened to “exercise all possible options” to counter what it called “unilateral” and “illegal” move by India.
Soon after New Delhi announced its decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) of its special status granted by the Article 370 of its Constitution and to reorganize the State into two Union Territories; Pakistan hinted that it would step up its effort to internationalize the issue in the wake of the latest move by India.
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“India's attempt to further change status of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is against the resolutions of UNSC (United Nations Security Council) & (and) against wishes of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan supports & (and) insists on a peaceful resolution based on wishes of Kashmiri people & (and) stands with them in their hour of need,” Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan, tweeted on Monday. Alvi convened a joint sitting of both Houses of Pakistan's Parliament – Senate and National Assembly – on Tuesday to discuss its course of action in the wake of the latest move by India.
As Alice G Wells, American Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, is on a visit to Pakistan from Monday, Islamabad is likely to use the opportunity to seek interventions of President Donald Trump's intervention in the wake of New Delhi's move to strip J&K of its special status. Trump recently claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate between India and Pakistan to help resolve the issue of Kashmir. Though New Delhi refuted Trump's claim, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday once again sought the US President's intervention, warning that India's aggressive actions along the Line of Control had the potential to blow up into a regional crisis.
“Pakistan condemns and rejects announcements made today by Indian Government regarding Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. We intend to firmly highlight our stance in our meetings with the US delegation visiting Pakistan and with the International Community at large,” Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Foreign Minister of Pakistan, tweeted.
Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the chief of Pakistan Army, also called a conference of his Corps Commanders on Tuesday to discuss the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) with India.
Pakistan said that no unilateral step by the Government of India could change the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir, as enshrined in the UNSC resolutions. “Nor will this ever be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan,” it added. “As the party to this international dispute, Pakistan will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps.” Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson of the MoFA of Pakistan Government, said in Islamabad.
Pakistan also reaffirmed its “abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause and its political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir for the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination”.