Pakistan on August 13 called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council following India's decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy, which Islamabad says threatens international peace and could lead to ethnic cleansing and genocide in the Muslim-majority region.
India’s Hindu nationalist-led government on August 5 announced it was revoking Indian Kashmir’s special constitutional status and downgrading its statehood.
India said on August 13 that is easing its lockdown in the Himalayan region in a "phased manner" after cutting off mobile, landline, and Internet networks, as well as enforcing a curfew nine days ago.
In an address to the nation on August 8, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the move would allow New Delhi to rid the region of “terrorism and separatism.”
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a letter to the Council, denounced "recent aggressive actions" by India's Hindu nationalist-led government, saying they "willfully undermine the internationally recognized disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir."
Kashmir is claimed by both India and Pakistan and divided between them. Rebels have been fighting Indian rule for decades and most Kashmiri residents want independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Qureshi also accused India of implementing a "racist ideology" aimed at turning Kashmir from a Muslim-majority into a Hindu-majority territory.
Before Kashmir's semiautonomous status was scrapped, Indians couldn’t settle or buy property in the region.
Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz of Poland, which holds the Council presidency this month, said members would discuss the letter.
He said "strained relations between India and Pakistan negatively affect the whole South Asia region."
India Says Kashmir Lockdown Easing As Pakistan Calls For Urgent UN Meeting
Updated
![Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks in Washington on July 23, 2019.](https://gdb.rferl.org/1b41ec5c-2b1e-49c4-aa49-e8929a7b0a4d_w250_r1_s.jpg)
Editor's Picks
Subscribe
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
Taliban Intensifies Crackdown On Dissent In Afghanistan
2Afghan Women Head To Olympics On Equal Footing
3Afghan Talks Kick Off In Doha Amid Anger Over Taliban’s Exclusion Of Women
4The Push To Recognize 'Gender Apartheid' As A Crime
540 Dead, Hundreds Injured After Heavy Rain, Storms In Eastern Afghanistan
6Fearful Of Losing Their Livelihoods, Pakistanis Oppose Latest Military Operation
7New Extremist Groups -- At Least In Name -- Enter Pakistan's Militant Scene
8Interview: Pakistani Islamist Leader Opposes Military Operation To Root Out Militants
9'Widespread Fear': Spate Of Killings In Pakistan's Restive Northwest Targets Journalists
10Homes Of Afghan Migrants Reportedly Attacked After Killing Of Iranian
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.