The United States has called for dialogue among India, Pakistan and Kashmir on the conflict in the valley. In a brief response, skirting a detailed discussion at the daily briefing on the issue, State Department spokesperson Mark Toner said: “We want to see dialogue between India and Pakistan and the Kashmir on the – on how to resolve the conflict in Kashmir and our policy hasn’t changed.”
Meanwhile, India hit back at Pakistan at a United Nations conference on human rights, after the latter raised the situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the forum. Terming Pakistan’s attempt a “misuse” of the forum, India’s Permanent Representative (PR) to the U.N. Syed Akbaruddin reminded the world body that Pakistan has been shielding designated terrorists on its territory.
“A country that covets others’ territories”
“…we have seen an attempt at misuse of this U.N. platform. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to U.N.-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination,” Mr. Akbaruddin said. He said, “Pakistan, is the same country whose track record has failed to convince the international community to gain membership of the Human Rights Council in this very Session of the UNGA. The international community has long seen through such designs. Cynical attempts, like the one this morning therefore, find no resonance in this forum or elsewhere in the United Nations.”
‘Naming and shaming has limits’
India also called for a “constructive and non-confrontational approach” in dealing with human rights questions all over the world. “An aggressive ‘naming and shaming’ exercise has its limits, is often counter-productive and tends to divide member states into opposing camps,” said Mr. Akbaruddin.
