Key points
- Kashmir Council Europe says Kashmir remains an international dispute
- Calls for UN-backed peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue
ISLAMABAD: Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU) Chairman Ali Raza Syed has criticised US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor for describing Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as “an important part of India”, saying the remarks overlooked the territory’s disputed status.
In a statement issued in Brussels on Friday, Syed said IIOJK was not merely an internal administrative matter but a longstanding international dispute referenced in United Nations Security Council resolutions.
He said the dispute should be resolved through a peaceful political process that takes into account the aspirations of the people of the valley and the principle of self-determination.
Syed said a unilateral statement by a foreign diplomat or government could not change what he described as the legal and historical status of the dispute.
Council seek Kashmir resolution
He also urged the United States, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to take into account the UN Charter, international law and relevant Security Council resolutions when addressing the issue.
The KCEU chairman called on the US, European Union and United Nations to play a greater role in promoting what he termed a peaceful and just settlement of the dispute, arguing that its resolution was important for lasting peace in South Asia.
Earlier Pakistan’s Foreign Office also rejected the US ambassador’s remarks, saying the characterisation of the disputed territory as “an important part of India” was contrary to the internationally recognised disputed status of the territory.
The Foreign Office said it had conveyed Pakistan’s strong concern to the US side and reiterated that the dispute should be resolved in accordance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
It said the issue was an internationally recognised dispute and that statements concerning its status should take into account the applicable UN resolutions and international law.
The Foreign Office summoned the US chargé d’affaires in Islamabad on Wednesday and conveyed a strong demarche, rejecting the characterisation of Jammu and Kashmir as part of India.
