News Desk |
Pakistan has started an attack on the diplomatic front as India moves to revoke the special status of Kashmir. Pakistan has urged global powers to take notice of India’s advances in Kashmir.
The Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) government moved a resolution in the Indian parliament yesterday to revoke Article 370 of the Indian constitution that gives a special status to Kashmir.
Read more: What happens now for Jammu & Kashmir refugees in Pakistan?
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote a letter to the secretary general of the United Nations informing him about the “critical situation” in Kashmir.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written a letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and apprised him about the critical situation of the Occupied Kashmir and the regional peace and security situation. pic.twitter.com/pRh65BfEYC
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) August 6, 2019
The UN in turn said in a statement that the secretary general had called upon both countries to exercise restraint amid rising tensions.
Foreign Minister Qureshi is also heading a Pakistani delegation that will participate in the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) which is scheduled to take place in Jeddah.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has already called Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the developments in Indian occupied Kashmir. President Erdogan has called the developments concerning and said that Turkey stands beside Pakistan is supporting Kashmiris right to self-determination.
PM Khan also made a similar call to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad. PM Mahathir also shared the grave concern over India’s advances Kashmir.
While meeting PM Khan in Washington last month, US president Donald Trump has already said that he would be happy to mediate between Pakistan and India on Kashmir.
Read more: Will Trump be able to mediate on Kashmir?
What revoking Article 370 means
The article ensured that the state of Kashmir was autonomous in all matters except defense, foreign relations and communications. The state with its own assembly was autonomous in internal matters.
However, with the article being revoked the autonomy is gone.
The revoking of article 370 also means that the special recognition given to Kashmiri citizens is gone. This means that Indians from all over the country will be able to buy property and settle in India.
Analysts fear that this could lead to a demographic change in the only Muslim Majority state in India.
India is doing this among a curfew, massive troop surge and communications blackout in Kashmir. Elections to the assembly have not been held and the state is under Governor rule.