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Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday demanded the implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolution on Kashmir, asserting that his country will continue supporting the right to self-determination in Jammu and Kashmir.
Identifying Kashmir as the core issue with its eastern neighbour, Abbasi exuded confidence that the resolution will help address the contentious issue.
“I think the basic issue is Kashmir. The implementation of the Security Council resolution will be a great starting point that will help address each other’s concerns and provide peace to the region and between Pakistan and India. That’s the core issue between the two countries,” Abbasi told a New York audience at an event organised by the Council on Foreign Relations.
Abbasi was responding to a question from United States Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney who sought to know from the Pakistan prime minister that what India and Pakistan need to do to achieve peace.
Abbasi is in New York to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly session where he will deliver his remarks.
“There is Indian aggression along the Line of Control, mostly to draw attention away from the genuine struggle of the Kashmiri people, who have risen against the Indian occupation there,” he responded to another question.
Abbasi asked the world community to honour and defend the fundamental right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We fully support the right to self-determination. We’ve fully supported that at every forum since 1948, and we continue to support that. And that issue should be resolved as per the UN Security Council resolutions. There are no two opinions about that. We fully support the self-determination rights of the Kashmiri people, and we ask the world community to honour and defend that,” he said.
“The Indian occupation forces there have committed atrocities which are really beyond belief, and we expect the world community to take notice of those atrocities. These are very serious crimes against humanity in that region,” Abbasi alleged.
Abbasi alleged that India has continued with its aggression in the recent past. He, however, said that the two neighbours need to engage on core issues and that he wants “normal relation” with India.
“Those have to be resolved first, and Kashmir is the basic core issue there. But unfortunately, in the recent past, the aggression from India has continued unabated, and that is not acceptable. And we want normal relations with India, but on the basis of trust and respect,” he said in response to another question.
Image: Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi answers a question during the panel discussion with the Council on Foreign Relations in Manhattan, New York. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters