ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has called on New Delhi to implement United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions on Kashmir and adhere to international norms as India on Sunday started its tenure as the council's president.
The presidency of the 15-member council rotates monthly, following the alphabetical order of the names of the member states.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which both claim it in full and rule in part. The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two of their three wars over control of Kashmiri territory. The Security Council has adopted since 1948 several resolutions on the dispute, including one which says a plebiscite should be held to determine the region's future.
The timing of India’s presidency coincides with the second anniversary of its annexation of Kashmiri territory.
"As India assumes this role, we would also like to once again remind it of its legal obligation to implement the UNSC resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir," Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement on Saturday.
On Aug. 5, 2019, New Delhi scrapped Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution that granted special autonomous status to the region, and divided the state into two federally administered units.
The move was followed by a crackdown on political activity, arrests of hundreds of political leaders and a series of administrative measures that raised concerns over attempts at engineering a demographic change in India's only Muslim-majority region.
The role of the UNSC president involves calling the council's meetings, deciding questions relating to policy and overseeing any crisis. The holder of the presidency is considered to be the "face" and spokesperson of the UNSC.
"We hope that India will abide by the relevant rules and norms governing the conduct of the Security Council Presidency," Chaudhri said.
India assumed the role for the month of August, taking over from France as it is serving its eighth term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, which started on Jan. 1 and will run for two years.