United Nations: After a failed bid by China to get the UN Security Council involved in the Kashmir issue, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has acknowledged that in the eyes of the world it was a bilateral matter for New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve.
"One hears that many countries are of the view that this is a matter of concern, but should be discussed and resolved bilaterally," he said at a news conference here on Wednesday.
The view that he referred to is the official position of India, which says that under the 1972 Simla Agreement, disputes between the neighbours have to be dealt with bilaterally and has opposed any outside involvement.
China brought up the Kashmir issue at a Council consultation on Wednesday but other members said it was a bilateral issue that it should not take up, diplomatic sources with knowledge of the proceedings said.
The meeting ended even without a statement.
Qureshi asserted he fact that the Kashmir situation has been discussed in the Council for the second time in five months, "is a clear indication that the Security Council is cognisant that the issue is on the agenda fo the Security Council and the impression that India tries to give that this is an internal matter is not accepted".
The Council held a consultation on Kashmir last August and at that meeting also Council members did not want to get involved in a bilateral issue.
He repeated Pakistan's offer to engage with India to deal with outstanding issues and said that India had rebuffed its overtures.
India has made an end to crossborder terrorism a condition for negotiations and improving relations.