Imran Khan At It Again, Invokes United Nations Resolutions on Kashmir

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has again invoked the United Nations Security Council resolutions for talks on Jammu and Kashmir, an approach that has been consistently rejected by India. The cricketer-turned-politician's fresh attempt came on Tuesday in the wake of what he termed a new "cycle of violence" in the state.

Six people died and over 40 were injured when an explosive shell went off at an encounter site in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam on Sunday.

Mr Khan tweeted that it is "time India realised it must move to resolve" the "dispute" over Jammu & Kashmir "through dialogue in accordance with the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people," in what is seen Pakistan's latest effort to internationalise the issue.

Imran Khan is seen as close to the Pakistan army, which dictates Islamabad's policy towards India. Just before he took oath as the prime minister in August, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief echoed the Pakistan military's viewpoint that "Kashmir is the core issue," between the two sides.

His party's election manifesto had also talked about working on a blueprint towards "resolving the Kashmir issue within the parameters of UNSC resolutions." Soon after his swearing-in, India reminded the new government in Pakistan that any attempt to drag Kashmir to the United Nations for a mediation route will not succeed.

In her address to the United Nations General Assembly in September, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said: "Pakistan glorifies killers, refuses to see the blood of innocents, and then throws the dust of deceit on India to cover its own guilt."

Ms Swaraj was set to meet her Pakistani counterpart, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), but India called off the talks, citing the killing of three Special Police Officers by terrorists and said the "true face of Imran Khan" had been exposed.

The government had also expressed displeasure over Islamabad releasing 20 special stamps featuring dead Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani under the pretext of expressing "solidarity with Kashmir".