Pakistan vows to challenge India over Kashmir at Security Council

PAKISTANI Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed to challenge India’s decision to strip Kashmir of its special autonomy, and demanded action from the international community at the UN Security Council, as tensions soared between the nuclear-armed rivals.

Khan criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision on Monday, to scrap the special status granted to the Indian-ruled part of Kashmir from India’s constitution in front of a joint-session of parliament in Islamabad.   

“I want to make it clear that we will fight this issue on every forum, (including) at the UN Security Council,” said Khan, who also promised to take the matter to the International Criminal Court.  

Khan demanded action from the global community as he accused Modi of blatantly violating international law in pursuit of an anti-Muslim agenda in India.   

“If the world does not act today… [if] the developed world does not uphold its own laws, then things will go to a place that we will not be responsible for,” Khan added. 

The prime minister’s remarks came shortly after Pakistan’s military announced it will “go to any extent” to support people in Kashmir. 

After a meeting with top commanders in the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan’s army chief expressed support for the people of Kashmir. 

“The Pakistani Army firmly stands by the Kashmiris in their just struggle to the very end,” said General Qamar Javed Bajwa. “We are prepared and shall go to any extent to fulfill our obligations in this regard.” 

Since independence from Britain in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought two wars over Kashmir, which is divided between the two but claimed by each in its entirety. 

– CGTN