Stepping up its offensive over Kashmir, Pakistan on Tuesday harped on giving the people there the right to 'self-determination' through 'plebiscite' and accused Indian security forces of 'brutality.'
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressed 'complete solidarity' with Kashmiris.
He said the Kashmir dispute is about the exercise of the right to 'self-determination' by the Kashmiri people through a 'free, fair and impartial plebiscite' under the UN auspices.
"Pakistan reaffirms its complete solidarity with the Kashmiri people, and urges the international community to persuade India to end its repression in Kashmir," he said.
Qureshi said, "Pakistan views the prevailing situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir with grave concern. Over the past two months, more than 100 Kashmiris have been killed by the Indian security forces in Kashmir. We strongly condemn this brutality".
He went on to add that 'the human rights of the Kashmiri people must be respected, and their voices heard to create an enabling environment for a peaceful solution of the longstanding J&K dispute.'
The minister, however, also spoke of Islamabad's willingness to hold talks with India.
"Pakistan is willing to engage India in a comprehensive dialogue to normalise relations between the two countries by finding amicable solutions to all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of J&K," he said.
Qureshi said a peaceful resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions and taking into account the aspirations of the Kashmiri people would create conducive atmosphere for durable peace and stability in the South Asian region.
Noting that the UN is the only and truly universal multilateral organisation, he said Pakistan supports comprehensive reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, equitable, transparent and accountable.
"The reform of the Security Council must be guided by the principles of equality and democracy, which could conform to a dynamic future, not entrenched in the historical mistakes and individual privileges of the past," he said.
