ISLAMABAD: All 15 members of the United Nations Security Council have expressed serious concerns over the deteriorating situation in India-administered Kashmir, Pakistani Foreign Office said on Thursday.
A Security Council meeting on Kashmir was convened on Wednesday on a request by Pakistan, which was backed by China – one of the council’s permanent members.
“During the hour-long discussion all the council members, including P-5 countries (permanent council members) expressed serious concerns regarding the deteriorating situation in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including the continued curfew and blackout imposed on the Kashmiri people, and potential threat of a conflict,” Foreign Office spokeswoman Aisha Farooqui said in a weekly media briefing in Islamabad.
She said UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) representatives briefed Security Council members on “India’s illegal actions,” “the continuous crackdown on Kashmiri leadership and people by Indian forces,” and confirmed that they had “resulted in the rise of tension.”
“Political leaders remained detained and Internet blockade remained in place. There is also deployment across the LOC (Line of Control). UNMOGIP members continued to face restrictions on the Indian side,” Farooqui said, adding that it was reaffirmed during the session that the Kashmir issue is an international dispute.
“We hope that such continued international scrutiny will exert pressure on the (Indian Prime Minister) Modi government to reverse its unilateral measure and to stop human rights and cease-fire violations against Pakistan,” she said, expressing Pakistan’s stance that the dispute must be resolved in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
She added that it was a second time in five months that the Security Council was discussing the Kashmir situation.
Farooqui said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had held three important meetings with the UN secretary general and President of UNSC, the presidents of the Security Council and General Assembly.
The foreign minister, Farooqui said, apprised the UN leaders on the effects of the over five-month Indian lockdown, rejecting all claims of “normalcy” in the territory. He also informed them about India’s “war-mongering” attitude, she said.
“The foreign minister underscored that persistent war mongering by Indian political and military leadership was a threat to regional peace and security,” as he requested the Security Council “to act decisively to prevent a disastrous war between Pakistan and India.”
Qureshi also reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness to continue its efforts and support for Kashmir and be the voice of Kashmiri people at every forum, Farooqui said.
UN Security Council has 'serious concerns' over Kashmir — Foreign Office
https://arab.news/mz67n
UN Security Council has 'serious concerns' over Kashmir — Foreign Office
- Wednesday’s session on Kashmir was held on Pakistan’s request
- FM Qureshi urged UN to ‘prevent a disastrous war between Pakistan and India’
US freezes visa processing for 75 countries, media reports Pakistan included
- State Department announces indefinite pause on immigrant visas starting Jan 21
- Move underscores Trump’s hard-line immigration push despite close Pakistan-US ties
ISLAMABAD: The United States will pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries starting Jan. 21, the State Department said on Wednesday, with Fox News and other media outlets reporting that Pakistan is among the countries affected by the indefinite suspension.
The move comes as the Trump administration presses ahead with a broad immigration crackdown, with Pakistan included among the affected countries despite strong ongoing diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Washington on economic cooperation, regional diplomacy and security matters.
Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo, said US embassies had been instructed to refuse immigrant visas under existing law while Washington reassesses screening and vetting procedures. The report said the pause would apply indefinitely and covers countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the Department of State said in a post on X.
According to Fox News and Pakistan news outlets like Dawn, the list of affected countries includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Brazil and Thailand, among others.
“The suspension could delay travel, study, and work plans for thousands of Pakistanis who annually seek US visas. Pakistani consulates in the US are expected to provide guidance to affected applicants in the coming days,” Dawn reported.
A State Department spokesman declined comment when Arab News reached out via email to confirm if Pakistan was on the list.
The Department has not publicly released the full list of countries or clarified which visa categories would be affected, nor has it provided a timeline for when processing could resume.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a central pillar of his agenda since returning to office last year, reviving and expanding the use of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law to restrict entry by migrants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
During his previous term as president, Trump imposed sweeping travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, a policy widely referred to as a “Muslim ban,” which was challenged in US courts before a revised version was upheld by the Supreme Court. That policy was later rescinded under the President Joe Biden administration.
The latest visa freeze marks a renewed hardening of US immigration policy, raising uncertainty for migrants from affected countries as Washington reassesses its screening and vetting procedures.
The freeze on visas comes amid an intensifying crackdown on immigration enforcement by the Trump administration. In Minneapolis last week, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good, a US citizen, during a federal operation, an incident that has drawn nationwide protests and scrutiny of ICE tactics. Family members and local officials have challenged the federal account of the shooting, even as Department of Homeland Security officials defended the agent’s actions. The case has prompted resignations by federal prosecutors and heightened debate over the conduct of immigration enforcement under the current administration.
