India can't shift the burden of its failures in IIOJK onto Pakistan, asserts Ambassador Sheikh

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh stated that India cannot shift the burden of its failures in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) onto Pakistan, calling for accountability and truth.

In an interview with an American TV channel, he said that Pakistan wants peace in the region but warned that this should not be seen as a sign of weakness. He added that if two nuclear powers come face to face, the results could be disastrous.

Rizwan Saeed said Pakistan does not want tension in the region and has always acted responsibly. “Pakistan wants peace, but it should not be mistaken for weakness,” he said.

He warned that any attack on Pakistan would be answered with full force and reminded that the world should understand the dangers if two nuclear countries go to war.

Speaking about India, the ambassador said India blamed Pakistan for the Pulwama attack but failed to provide any solid proof. He also said India cannot put the blame on Pakistan for its own domestic political issues and aggressive policies.

Rizwan Saeed further said that Pakistan has played a frontline role in the global fight against terrorism. He added that if India, despite having 700,000 troops, cannot bring peace to occupied Kashmir, it should make the world think about the real problem.

Read More: UNSC expected to meet ‘sooner rather than later’ on India-Pakistan escalation 

Earlier, the President of the UN Security Council for May, Evangelos Sekeris of Greece, said that he expects the 15-member body to meet “sooner, rather than later” on the serious situation between India and Pakistan following the April 22 armed attack in Indian- occupied Kashmir to deal with the heightening tensions between the two South Asian neighbours.

In response to a question at his press conference held to brief journalists on the programme of the Council’s work for the current month Evangelos stated that “Its (the situation) is ongoing, evolving … (and) we are listening and monitoring closely.”

Responding to a question if any of the two parties have requested a Council meeting on the subject, the Council president said the situation was under watch and “we will be seized of the matter, of course –this is certain that it will happen”.

In this regard, he cited the press statement issued by the Council last week in which it strongly condemned the “terrorist” attack called for accountability and international cooperation to bring the perpetrators of attack in Pahalgam to justice.

“We know that bigger member states are already in contact with both sides,” Ambassador Sekeris said. “If the situation is not de-escalating, I mean, calling for an extraordinary Security Council meeting, is something which can come as a consequence, because it is actually the main business of the Security Council,” noting that Pakistan is its non-permanent member.

Noting that two big member states were involved in the confrontation, the president said, “you know its lot at stake, and let us hope that those efforts for de-escalation will be helpful, but we are prepared (to deal with it), of course.”