World leaders are raising the Kashmir issue at international forums ever since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to illegally annex the occupied territory back in August.
On Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said despite UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, the Muslim majority region has been invaded and occupied.
He joins a host of world leaders, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, Turkish President Recep Erdogan and some high-ranking Chinese officials, who have raised the Kashmir issue at United Nations.
“There may be reasons for these actions. But it is still wrong,” the outspoken 94-year-old Malaysian leader said in an address to the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
“The problem must be solved by peaceful means. India should work with Pakistan to resolve this problem. Ignoring the UN will lead to other forms of disregard for the United Nations,” said the Malaysian leader.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had also raised the Kashmir dispute at the UNGA, saying it should be resolved as stipulated in UN Security Council resolutions.
“The Kashmir issue is a dispute left from history and should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements,” Foreign Minister Yi told the 193-member Assembly.
China, he said, opposes any unilateral actions that complicate the situation — a reference to India’s illegal annexation of occupied Kashmir and the military clampdown on the disputed state.
Turkish President Erdogan had earlier on Tuesday raised the Kashmir issue on the first day of the UNGA’s high-level debate, attended by leaders from around the world.
“The stability and prosperity of South Asia cannot be separated from the Kashmir issue,” he said in a strong speech to a packed hall.
“Despite the resolutions adopted by the UNSC, Kashmir is still besieged and eight million people are still stuck in Kashmir,” the Turkish president, who met PM Imran on Monday said.
“They [Kashmiri] cannot get out,” he said, adding that Kashmir has been an unresolved issue for 72 years.
“In order for the Kashmiri people to look forward to a safe future with their Pakistani and Indian neighbours, it is imperative to solve this problem through dialogue on the basis of justice, and equality instead of conflict,” Erdogan added.
