China draws blank at UNSC consultation on Kashmir

United Nations: China drew a blank at the Security Council consultation at which it raised the Kashmir issue with members declaring it a bilateral issue and refusing to step in.

Beijing’s Permanent Representative Zhang Jun himself acknowledged it saying the meeting encouraged India and Pakistan to seek a dialogue with each other. India’s Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said: “Pakistan’s practice of using false pretenses to distract from addressing the malaise that afflicts it has run its course today.” The consultation ended without a statement or an acknowledgement of the issues.

Vietnam’s Permanent Representative Dang Din Quy, who is the Council president for this month, did not speak to the media or make a statement as is done usually after such consultations.

The consultation was held in a consultation room away from the Council chamber and no records of it are made. In a virtual admission that it was a bilateral issue, Zhang, who asked for the consultation, told reporters the meeting encouraged India and Pakistan “to have dialogue and to seek means to seek solutions through dialogues.”

A European non-permanent member said that the members felt there should be de-escalation of the situation there and it should be handled bilaterally.

Akbaruddin said: “We are happy that neither the alarmist scenario painted by the representatives of Pakistan nor any of the baseless allegations made repeatedly by representatives of Pakistan in UN fora were found to be credible today.”

“We are glad that the effort was viewed as a distraction and it was pointed by many friends that bilateral mechanisms are available to raise and address issues that Pakistan may have in its ties with India,” he added.

Asked what the meeting had achieved, Zhang said, “I am sure the meeting helped both parties to understand the risk of further escalation and will encourage them to approach to each other and to have dialogue.” He refused to answer a reporter’s question why China had raised the issue at this time.

Earlier, Zhang told the media: “We have also seen some tensions, so the Council had a briefing, heard a briefing, from the UN Secretariat concerning the current situation on the ground.” He also referred to a letter written by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to the Council last month, which he said asked “the Council to pay attention to the current situation in Jammu Kashmir.”