Will Tackle Pakistan Wherever It Wants Says India
NEW DELHI : Hours after Pakistan announced its decision to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the Narendra Modi government’s decision to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir, top diplomat Syed Akbaruddin today said that India was ready to fight its regional rival in any arena of its choice.
“Every country is entitled to use every course available to them. We have different approaches too. If they would like to tackle us in different arenas, we will address it in that arena. This is an arena of their choice. They tried once, but they did not succeed,” Mr Akbaruddin, who is India’s permanent representative in the United Nations, told NDTV.
He was referring to the recent face-off between India and Pakistan in the ICJ over the death sentence handed to former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of “espionage and terrorism” two years ago. In its verdict delivered last month, the world court asked Pakistan to make an “effective review and reconsideration” of the death penalty and grant Mr Jadhav consular access as demanded by India.
Pakistan’s cause faced another defeat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday, when “all-weather ally” China pushed for closed-door consulations on the Kashmir issue. However, the hour-long event ended without any outcome or statement from the world body, dealing a huge blow to Pakistan’s efforts to internationalise the issue. India maintains that its decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcate it into two union territories is a “strictly internal matter”.
Mr Akbaruddin termed the lack of evident support for Pakistan at the UNSC meet as a snub to its stand on Kashmir. “What happened last week was an informal consultation, which actually made it quite clear to everyone that India’s approach enjoys broad support globally…. We do hope that they will recalibrate, taking into account the outcome of that consulation,” he said.
The diplomat, however, refused to comment on remarks from Union Ministers such as Jitendra Singh that India would push for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in future bilateral talks. “Let’s take it step by step. We abide by the bilateral track put in place by the Shimla Agreement, and I haven’t heard any response to this request. Is Pakistan interested in this bilateral track? Let’s not jump the gun,” Mr Akbaruddin said, describing himself as a mere “foot soldier who works in the trenches”.
Pakistan on Tuesday said it will approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the Kashmir issue, weeks after India revoked the special status to Jammu and Kashmir. “An in-principle decision has been taken to take the issue of Kashmir to the International Court of Justice,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told ARY News TV.
Prime Minister Imran Khan told a rare joint sitting of Pakistan’s Parliament on August 6 that he will raise the Kashmir issue at every forum including the UN Security Council and also take the matter to the ICJ.
Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and bifurcated it into two Union Territories, evoking strong reactions from Pakistan.
India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.
(With Agency Inputs ).
