ISLAMABAD: Law Minister Farogh Naseem met Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday to discuss the legal aspects of moving the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and other international forums on the issue of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
Qureshi said the UN Security Council holding deliberations on the Kashmir dispute after five decades was a major success for Pakistan.
Naseem told the foreign minister that Pakistan would challenge India’s illegal annexation of the disputed territory and the human rights violations there at every international forum.
Senate Standing Committee on Defence Chairperson Walid Iqbal also met Qureshi and exchanged views on the current situation in IOK.
Qureshi informed him that the government was making every diplomatic effort to highlight the humanitarian crisis in occupied Kashmir.
On Tuesday, Qureshi confirmed that Pakistan had decided to take the Kashmir issue to the UN-affiliated ICJ.
He said the decision was made after considering all legal aspects and the law ministry was working on the case. Its details, he added, would be shared later. The minister emphasised that Pakistan had a strong legal case against India.
Separately, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan had given the go ahead to approach the ICJ. According to Awan, Pakistan’s case would focus on ‘human rights and genocide in Indian-occupied Kashmir.’ A panel of lawyers of international repute would be hired to present Pakistan’s case before the ICJ.
However, sources said the law ministry had yet to give its opinion on whether the UN top court should be moved or not.
Even lawyers who had expertise in international law expressed astonishment over the foreign minister’s announcement. The opinion is divided because of a jurisdictional issue.
Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan on Wednesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said the government was evaluating the possibility of raising the issue of Indian Occupied Kashmir’s illegal annexation at all international forums including the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHCR) and the ICJ.
“Pakistan will raise the Kashmir issue at the UNHCR and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s foreign ministers’ meeting,” he added.
Dr Faisal said the issue of Kashmir had become a grave threat to world peace.
“Pakistan is fully alert and the world was being sensitised on the situation [in IOK].”
The spokesperson said foreign missions were proactively exposing Indian aggression. Besides, he added, the National Assembly speaker was also playing a key role in activating Inter-Parliamentary Union to highlight the issue.
Dr Faisal warned that the lives of millions of Kashmiris were in imminent danger because of India’s nefarious behaviour after the revocation of occupied Kashmir’s special status on August 5.
“New Delhi wants another Pulwama-like attack to justify its atrocities as anti-terrorism measures,” he maintained.
Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem called on Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
They discussed various legal and constitutional aspects of challenging the unilateral Indian steps in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir at different international forums after the UN Security Council. pic.twitter.com/19SjlrWPEX
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) August 21, 2019
'The British have intentionally inflicted this wound on that region for the continuation of clashes in Kashmir'
Original news : https://tribune.com.pk/story/2039099/1-ministers-mull-legal-aspects-moving-icj-iok/