'Closed-door talks' at UNSC today on Kashmir issue, first in 54 years

United Nations, Aug 16: The United Nation Security Council (UNSC) is expected to hold closed-door consultations on the Kashmir developments on Friday.

The meeting comes a day after China, an all-weather ally of Pakistan asked for "closed consultations" in the UN Security Council to discuss India revoking the special status to Jammu and Kashmir after Islamabad wrote a letter seeking a meeting, according to a top UN diplomat.

News agency AFP reported that Poland, which currently holds the Security Council's rotating presidency, has listed the matter for discussion at 10:00 am local time (7:30pm IST).

A report in PTI quoted a top UN diplomat as saying that China, an all-weather ally of Pakistan, had asked for "closed consultations" in the UN Security Council to discuss the Kashmir issue after Islamabad wrote a letter seeking a meeting. The diplomat told PTI on condition of anonymity that a request for such a meeting was submitted very recently.

"China asked for closed consultations on the Security Council agenda item 'India Pakistan Question'. The request was in reference to the Pakistani letter to Security Council President," the diplomat said.

First closed door meeting since 1965

Closed meetings are not open to the public and no verbatim record of statements is kept. Consultations are informal meetings of the Security Council members and are not covered in the Repertoire. The Repertoire, mandated by the General Assembly, provides comprehensive coverage of the Security Council's interpretation and application of the United Nations Charter and its own Provisional Rules of Procedure since 1946.

Its primary purpose is to provide the Member States, including those elected to serve on the Security Council, the United Nations system, academics and others with a source of information regarding the evolving practice of the Security Council.

According to UN records, the last time "the Security Council addressed the dispute between India and Pakistan over the territories of Jammu and Kashmir" under agenda item 'The India-Pakistan question' was in 1964-65.