BAHRAIN: The United Nations resolution on Kashmir is no longer operative and those who harp on this fail to take into account the drastic changes the situation has undergone after 1948 deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha Najma Heptullah has said.

In an interview to the Saudi Daily Arab News published on Thursday, Heptuallh said Pakistan had no night to talk about the resolution 42 years after it was passed, when they did not abide by their side of it.

She said that the resolution, which Pakistan was talking about today, had as a prerequisite, the withdrawal of Pakistan from Kashmiri territory. As Pakistan did not think it fit to withdraw for 42 years, that resolution is no longer operative she said.

Moreover, she said the Shimla agreement specified that any matter between India and Pakistan would not unilaterally be taken to any third party or international forum and that the two countries would not create an atmosphere of hatred against each other.

Pakistan, including its head of government, she said, had violated that agreement on both these counts,

Under the UN resolution of 1948 a plebiscite was supposed to be held in Kashmir if Pakistan vacated the portion of the state it had been occupying. But, under the 1972 Simla agreement India and Pakistan had agreed to solve all outstanding problems bilaterally, without mediation of any third party.

Mrs. Benazir Bhutto not only gave very proactive speeches in Islamabad but also in Kashmir, Dr. Heputallah said. In addition to that, she pledged money for the “liberation” of Kashmir she said.

Najma Heptullah made it clear that India did not want to interfere in what was happening in Sind and Baluchistan.

“If there are separatist movements in Pakistan we do not want to support them. It is there problem. Let them solve it. Similarly we do not want anybody to interfere in our internal matters and create problems.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 11, 1990