Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday said that his country will take the Kashmir issue and Pakistan’s dispute with India over the region to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“We have decided to take Kashmir case to the International Court of Justice. The decision was taken after considering all legal aspects,” Shah Mehmood Qureshi said while talking to ARY News TV.
Pakistan had last week approached the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to raise the issue after China had formally asked for closed consultations in the United Nations Security Council to discuss India revoking the special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The UNSC had agreed to hold a closed-door meeting to discuss India’s move to revoke Article 370 following which the world body met on August 16 to discuss India’s move to revoke Article 370.
However, India scored a big win over Pakistan as the UNSC, in a closed consultation, acknowledged India’s measures to bring normalcy and development to Kashmir and wanted all countries to follow suit.
The last time there was a full Security Council meeting on Kashmir was in 1965.
The move comes after India revoked Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 following which Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were divided into two Union Territories.
Pakistan had strongly condemned the abrogation of Article 370 saying that it will exercise all possible options to counter it. Reaffirming its abiding commitment to the Kashmir cause, Pakistan said, as the party to this international dispute, it will exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps.
Before the announcement, former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference chairman Sajad Lone were placed under house arrest as restrictions were imposed across the Valley and the state administration had imposed Section 144 in Srinagar, as well as in Jammu while mobile and internet services have been snapped.
Article 370 had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and limited Parliament’s power to make laws concerning the state.