India on Friday described the remarks made by the UNGA president Volkan Bozkir as “unwarranted” and “regrettable” saying his 'misleading and prejudiced' remarks does 'great disservice to the office he occupies'.
Bozkir, a former Turkish diplomat who assumed office last September, made the comments at a Press interaction with Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in Islamabad on Thursday.
Bozkir, the first Turkish national to preside over the General Assembly, was on an official visit to Pakistan during which he also met Prime Minister Imran Khan. He remarked that Pakistan should raise the Kashmir issue more forcefully and that all parties should refrain from steps that affect the status of Jammu and Kashmir.
He also said that, “As an impartial president of the General Assembly, I must also reiterate that the UN position on Jammu and Kashmir is governed by the UN Charter and applicable Security Council resolutions.
He further went on to add “India and Pakistan’s Simla Agreement of 1972...states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means in accordance with the UN Charter and this is, I think, very important that we must all remember.”
The Ministry of External Affairs of India strongly reacted in response to the comments, stating that “'When an incumbent President of the UN General Assembly makes misleading and prejudiced remarks, he does great disservice to the office he occupies. The President of the UN General Assembly's behaviour is truly regrettable and surely diminishes his standing on the global platform,'
“We express our strong opposition to the unwarranted references made with respect to the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir by the President of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA) Volkan Bozkir during his recent visit to Pakistan,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
These developments are in light of Pakistan’s recent efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue after the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked in August 2019, splitting the state into two union territories which was strongly opposed by Pakistan. India had rejected Pakistan’s criticism as they saw it as an interference in internal matters.
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