New Delhi:
The United Nation's Human Rights Council is expected to be the new battlefield of the diplomatic war between India and Pakistan over the issue of Kashmir. The 42nd session of the Human Rights Council will take place from September 9 to 27.
While Pakistan is set to raise the issue of Kashmir at the forum, India is ready to thwart their efforts. Pakistan may call for urgent debate on Kashmir or move a resolution citing alleged human rights violations in Kashmir. Either of these will need to be put to a simple majority vote with absentees or abstentions not being counted.
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Team India Ready To Twart Pakistan
Team India at UNHRC is making full efforts to reduce abstentions during procedural vote on any such Pakistan sponsored debate. India wants to avoid a situation where member-countries abstain en masse during the vote on Kashmir. India has broader support than Pakistan but that needs to be translated into votes, an official said.
While foreign minister S Jaishankar has personally contacted or visited each and every member of the 47-member UNHRC, national security adviser Ajit Doval has managed the internal situation in Kashmir. India will stress the fact that not a single life has been lost in Jammu and Kashmir at the hands of Indian security forces.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi is expected to lead the charge against India. He is scheduled to speak at 3.30 pm (IST) on Tuesday. The Indian counter at UNHRC, Geneva, will be led by secretary (east) Vijay Thakur Singh along with India's High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria apart from other officials.
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India May Raise Issue Of Pakistan's Minorities
India may hits back at Pakistan by raising the issue of ill-treatment of minorities in Pakistan. Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had urged Jaishankar to take up the issue of targeting of minorities in Pakistan.
India had earlier thwarted a joint China-Pakistan initiative to rake up Kashmir at the United Nation Security Council. Ever since India's decision to remove the special status for Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has been trying to raise Kashmir issue at international forums. However, it has not got any success so far.
