ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has rejected the impression that Pakistan has given a walkover to India to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Making a policy statement in the Senate on Friday, the foreign minister said that Pakistan did not abstain but voted against the non-permanent membership of India for the unconstitutional steps it took in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year.
The foreign minister said that these steps were in complete violation of the UN Charter and international norms. He said that Pakistan is focused to expose the Indian sinister designs at the world level.
However, he added that there is a process to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi pointed out that the UN Security Council’s non-permanent membership is given on a rotational basis for a period of two years.
Qureshi recalled that Pakistan and India both have held this seat for seven times each. He said that India had been campaigning to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council since 2013.
The foreign minister said that this will not change the stance of the United Nations on the outstanding Kashmir dispute. He said that the world body sticks to its principled stance on Kashmir and considers it a disputed territory and there are also UN Security Council’s resolutions on the lingering dispute.
The minister said that Pakistan has also started its campaign to become a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 2025-26.
Furthermore, he said that India stands diplomatically isolated and is on the verge of bankruptcy in the wake of COVID-19.
Qureshi said that India has strained its relations with all the regional Countries including China and Nepal. He said that India could resort to a false flag operation against Pakistan in the current situation.
However, he warned that we will give a befitting and immediate response if India cast an evil eye on Pakistan.
The foreign minister said that the entire nation is united for the security, sovereignty and dignity of Pakistan.
