UNITED NATIONS, Aug (14): Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations Dr
Maleeha Lodhi on Tuesday presented a letter from Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi to the Security Council asking for an urgent meeting on
the grim situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

Ambassador Lodhi presented the letter to UN Security Council President
and Polish Ambassador Joanna Wronecka.

The Council president will hold consultations with the Council members
and fix a date for the meeting.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Lodhi began meeting the Council members again to
update them on the situation in occupied Kashmir.

Last week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Hindu nationalist
government abolished the Indian constitution’s special Article, which
granted special status to occupied Kashmir, as tensions mounted in the
disputed valley with unprecedented numbers of Indian troops deployed in
the region. The move by Narendra Modi’s government rescinded years of
autonomy and gave full control of the disputed region to New Delhi.

In another development, Poland’s Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz, who
is also in New York, said he hopes India and Pakistan can work out a
“mutually beneficially solution” after New Delhi revoked the special
status of occupied Kashmir.

Czaputowicz was in New York to address a Security Council briefing
Tuesday on ”International humanitarian law – Seventieth anniversary of
the Geneva Conventions: upholding humanity in modern conflict.”

Later, Czaputowicz addressed reporters at the UN Security Council
stakeout where he was asked that Pakistan has demanded for the Security
Council to be briefed on the situation in occupied Kashmir following
India’s decision to scrap its special status and whether Poland supports
such a request as the Council President.

Czaputowicz said he has had a “phone conversation” with India’s External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi in the last few days.

“We expressed concerns over current tensions between India and Pakistan
resulting from the proposed changed status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Poland believes that the dispute can only be resolved by peaceful means
and here we fully support the reaction of the European Union and
statement issued by Federica Mogherini.

“We are in favour of dialogue between Pakistan and India to sort out the
differences.”

Czaputowicz stressed that as a non-permanent member of the Security
Council, “Poland stands ready, if needed, to engage” in preventing
actions in security situation.

He said he was “just informed” Tuesday morning that the Security Council
received the letter from the Ambassador of Pakistan.

“I think that the Security Council will discuss that issue and take
proper decision.”

Lodhi had earlier this month met Wronecka over the Kashmir issue.

The Polish ambassador however declined to comment on the issue.