Pak, India should resolve Kashmir dispute:Ban to Sharif

From Yoshita Singh United Nations, Sep 22 (PTI) Rejecting Pakistan’s repeatedpleas to the UN to resolve the Kashmir dispute, UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon has told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif thatPakistan and India should address their outstanding issues,including Kashmir, through "dialogue". Ban’s remarks came as Sharif handed over to him a dossiercontaining evidence of alleged human rights violations byIndian forces in Kashmir. "The Secretary-General stressed the need for Pakistan andIndia to address their outstanding issues, including Kashmir,through dialogue, saying it is in the interest of bothcountries and the region as a whole," according to a readoutof Ban’s meeting with Sharif provided by his spokesperson. Ban met with Sharif here yesterday on the margins of the71st Session of the UN General Assembly. According to a statement by the Pakistan Mission to theUN, Sharif handed over to Ban the dossier containinginformation and evidence of alleged atrocities and humanrights violations against Kashmiris. He also showed Ban "pictures" of "innocent anddefenceless" people in Kashmir "victimised through brutal useof force and atrocities." "The Prime Minister also reiterated the imperative of anindependent inquiry into the extra judicial killings and a UNfact finding mission to investigate the situation in occupiedKashmir. He emphasised that India must be urged to abide by UNSecurity Council resolutions on Kashmir," the statement said. Sharif has been mounting massive efforts tointernationalise the Kashmir issue, shooting off letters tothe UN and Ban as well and raising the issue in all of hisbilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA. However, his repeated calls to the UN to help resolve theKashmir dispute between India and Pakistan appear to begaining no traction as Ban made no reference to Kashmir andthe situation in the Valley in his final speech to the UNGA asUN Chief. Ban mentioned a plethora of global issues on the UNagenda, including the situation in Myanmar and Sri Lanka, thetensions in the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East but notKashmir. He even touched upon the Syrian crisis, the Palestinianissue, the refugee and migrant movements, the South Sudantensions, violent extremism and its impact on regions fromYemen, Libya Iraq, Afghanistan to the Sahel and the Lake ChadBasin. Sharif, in his address to the UN General Assembly, saidPakistan welcomed the offer of good offices by theSecretary-General to help resolve the Kashmir dispute. Ban’s office has repeatedly said that the UN Chief’s goodoffices are available on helping resolve the Kashmir disputeonly if both India and Pakistan request for it, a clearmessage that the Kashmir issue is a bilateral one between thetwo nations and should be solved by them only. PTI YASMRJ