The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has ruled out any action on Kashmir or even issuing a joint statement, dealing a huge blow to Pakistan which has been trying to internationalise New Delhi’s move to abrogate Article 370.

“In the Council, I don’t see that in the near future there will be joint statement on Jammu and Kashmir,” UNSC President Jerry Matthews Matjila said according to IANS, recalling that the divided Security Council could not even agree on a one-paragraph statement at its August meeting on Kashmir.

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The permanent representative of South Africa took over the rotating presidency for this month on Tuesday.

“The Council was so divided that we could not even issue a paragraph statement, we could not even issue a paragraph to say we are appealing for both parties to resolve the issue amicably as per Shimla accord … (signed) when they met in Shimla. They agreed that this was the formula they were going to use,” he said giving an insight into the August 16 meeting of the Security Council.

In a major diplomatic victory for India, the United Nations Security Council in a “closed consultation” acknowledged India’s measures to bring normalcy and development to Kashmir and wanted all countries to follow suit.

Barring China, the world accepted India’s position including the Arab world, formerly sponsors and supporters of Pakistan.

The consultative meeting was called by China, Pakistan’s all-weather ally, on Islamabad’s request to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The rare closed-door consultations on Kashmir ended without any outcome or statement from the powerful 15-nation UN organ, dealing a huge snub to Pakistan and its all-weather ally China.

Majority of the 15 members said there should not be any statement or outcome issued after the consultations and their will prevailed, leaving China to come out and make a statement in its national capacity followed by Pakistan.

Matjila acknowledged that the Shimla agreement signed by India’s then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then Pakistan’s President, stated that disputes between India and Pakistan were bilateral matters to be resolved between leaving no room for third party involvement.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had last month written to the UN Secretary-General and President of the UN Security Council highlighting Pakistan’s legal case on the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Qureshi, in his letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres and then UNSC President Vasily Nebenzya, said Indian action aimed at bringing about a “demographic change” in Kashmir.

Pakistan suffered several setbacks on various fronts in its bid to target India on Kashmir.

Following its failure at the UNSC, Pakistan knocked the doors of the UNHRC where it met with a similar fate.

Pakistan could not file any resolution on the Kashmir issue at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva with the deadline ending on September 19.

At the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on September 10, Pakistan tried to present a false narrative on Kashmir with its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stating that the Valley had been converted into the “largest prison” with people being denied access to basic amenities following the abrogation of Article 370.

Pakistan had also asked the UNHRC to conduct an international investigation, urging the world rights body not to remain “indifferent” over India’s move on Kashmir.

However, the Indian delegation led by Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Thakur Singh, effectively rebutted Pakistan’s allegations on human rights violations in Kashmir.

In the latest of its attempts, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan raised the Kashmir issue at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Khan repeated his war rhetoric saying that if there was a face-off between two nuclear-armed neighbours, the consequences would be far beyond their borders.

Giving his scenario for war, Imran Khan said that when the “curfew” is lifted in Kashmir there will be a bloodbath.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of India’s achievements and its inspiration to the world for development and the possibilities of the future, with just one mention of the world uniting against terror.

Pakistan has been desperate since the Centre decided to abolish the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state on August 5.