Islamabad: After Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to raise the Kashmir issue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Law Ministry is yet to frame its views on the move.
On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said Pakistan had decided to move the ICJ on Kashmir issue and the Law Ministry would share the details soon.
On Wednesday, the Ministry said no decision had been taken.
The Express Tribune, a Pakistan English daily, has reported that opinion over the issue was divided.
A senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader told The Express Tribune that senior party leaders were in touch with Ben Emerson, a London-based lawyer, who advised Pakistan to approach the ICJ on Kashmir issue.
Even the international law experts in Pakistan have expressed astonishment over the government’s decision.
The opinion is said to be divided due to the jurisdictional issue.
According to international law expert Taimur Malik, the matter can be referred to the ICJ but its opinion is only advisory in nature and not binding to the parties concerned. But it could help Pakistan make the Kashmir issue ‘international’, he added.
Malik also said it would be difficult to put India in the dock due to various provisions of the international law as India reserves the right on bilateral issues at the ICJ.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Wednesday said that the Central government’s move action in abrogating Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir is India’s “internal matter”.
“Bangladesh maintains that Article 370’s abrogation by Indian Govt is an internal issue of India,” a statement by country’s Foreign Ministry read.
It further said that Bangladesh has always advocated, as a matter of principle, that maintaining regional peace and stability, as well as the development should be a priority for all countries.
The statement by Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has come a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Dhaka.
The statement is a further blow to Pakistan, which has been making continuous efforts to internationalise the Kashmir issue, despite being snubbed at the United Nations Security Council, as well as by many countries, including US and Russia.
Earlier, France had also snubbed Pakistan’s attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue by affirming its stance that it remains a bilateral matter and should be resolved by New Delhi and Islamabad through dialogue.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, in a telephonic conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday, “recalled France’s constant position on Kashmir”, which being that “it is up to the two countries (Indian and Pakistan), under the framework of their bilateral political dialogue, to resolve this dispute so as to establish lasting peace.”
Drian called on the two countries to exercise restraint and de-escalate the tensions that have been simmering following the Indian government’s move to Abrogate article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
“France makes a call to the parties for restraint, de-escalation, and easing the situation. It is essential to abstain from any measure likely to aggravate tensions,” a statement by French Foreign Ministry spokesperson read.
(Agencies)
