Washington D.C.: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has emphasized the significance of according primacy to diplomacy in resolving global issues, including the longstanding Kashmir dispute. Speaking at a seminar organized by Pakistan’s Embassy in Washington D.C. in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day, he said there is a need to create a situation in which India and Pakistan can engage in a meaningful and consequential dialogue. The Ambassador said durable settlement of the Kashmir issue and a hope for lasting peace can be best accomplished through diplomacy.
According to Radio Pakistan, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh urged the international community to refocus its attention and play a proactive role in resolving the longstanding issues of Kashmir and Palestine. He noted that the situation in Palestine and Kashmir affords an opportunity to accord them a similar status, suggesting that addressing both issues simultaneously, due to their common genesis, could reinforce each other. He also criticized the steps taken by the Indian government on and after August 5, 2019, describing them as not legally tenable.
In this context, the Ambassador highlighted the relevance of UN Resolution 122, adopted on January 24, 1957, which reaffirmed the international nature of the Kashmir dispute and stated that unilateral actions by either party would not substitute for a UN-supervised plebiscite. On the occasion, Former Ambassador Tauqir Hussain stressed the importance of making India’s unilateral actions of 2019 untenable, urging a return to the negotiating table. He emphasized that India and Pakistan must find a way to settle the dispute through mutual understanding.
Former Norwegian MP Lars Rise highlighted that India was committing war crimes in the occupied territory. He stressed that violations of human rights should be documented and incorporated into foreign policy advocacy in major world capitals.