Pakistan has failed to submit a draft resolution over Kashmir issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) before the scheduled deadline, reported Indian media outlet, The Wire.
According to The Wire, “After missing the deadline, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal claimed that the ‘human rights situation in the IOJ&K has become the central issue of focus at the Human Rights Council’.”
“Pakistan will exercise all options available to ensure that [the] HRC actions to meaningfully impact on the ground situation in Kashmir,” the report quotes Faisal as saying.
“Pakistan realistically had only two options available. It could submit a draft resolution criticising India’s restriction in Kashmir and change in constitutional status – or call for a debate at the council,” said The Wire.
“To submit a resolution, Pakistan required at least 15 backers. But, since it failed to circulate a text to the UNHRC Secretariat by the deadline of 1 pm on September 19, it was clear that they could not find the requisite numbers. This was despite over a dozen members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), being members of the council,” it went on to claim.
“The other route for Pakistan is to suggest the situation in Kashmir as a topic debate in the council. Broaching a topic does not require backers nor is there any time limit on when the proposal can be floated before the current session ends on September 27.”