All news

UN Security Council to discuss Kashmir issue on Friday — source

China supported a request by Pakistan for a UN Security Council discussion on the matter, submitted early this week

UN, August 15. /TASS/. A UN Security Council session to discuss the escalation between India and Pakistan over the former state of Jammu and Kashmir will take place on Friday, a UN Security Council source has told TASS.

"The chairperson resolved holding the session on Friday morning (starting from 17:00 Moscow time), in the format of closed consultations," the source said.

On Wednesday, China supported a request by Pakistan for a UN Security Council discussion on the matter, submitted early this week.

On August 5, New Delhi announced that it was revoking Article 370 of the country’s constitution that granted a special status and a degree of autonomy to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and also breaking the state up into two union territories largely controlled by the central government. Pakistan strongly condemned the move.

Before the constitutional amendments, Jammu and Kashmir - the only Indian state where Muslims constitute a majority - had special autonomy. All bills in this state passed by the central government (except for those related to defense and foreign relations) had to be backed by a local assembly. Citizens of other Indian regions had no right to buy land in Kashmir. The state also had its own official flag and a number of other privileges.