Pak sees red as UK 'forgets' to mention J&K dispute
15 Nov 2010
United Nations: Already frothing and foaming at the mouth ever since the United States made public its endorsement of India's candidacy for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan received another jolt when current UNSC president, the United Kingdom, omitted to mention Kashmir in a list of disputes under the observation of the Security Council.
The omission occurred in the course of an intervention made by the UK's top diplomat in an annual debate on UNSC reforms. UK holds the presidency of UNSC this month.
"Jammu and Kashmir dispute was not mentioned in the context of unresolved long-running situations," said Amjad Hussain B Sial, Pakistan's acting envoy to UN, told the General Assembly, where the debate was held.
"We understand this was an inadvertent omission, as Jammu and Kashmir is one of the oldest disputes on agenda of the Security Council," he added.
It has been a long-standing demand of Pakistan that the United Nations intervene to resolve the issue, but the UN has always backed off in the face of Indian assertions that it is a dispute that needs to be addressed bilaterally.
Speaking earlier at the General Assembly, the UK envoy to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, said that "some long-running situations, including in the Middle East, Cyprus and Western Sahara remain unresolved, as do issues where the Council has become engaged in recent years, including Nepal and Guinea Bissau."
