NEW YORK: The United Nations (UN) high commissioner on human rights has regretted India’s denial of unconditional access to occupied Kashmir to UN human rights investigators.
In its annual report, it noted that discrimination and violence against minorities and particularly against Muslims is rising in India and is being actively endorsed by local or religious officials.
According to a press release issued by the Foreign Office (FO), Pakistan raised the issue of India’s human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir during the 37th session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative, Tahir Andrabi called on India to stop killing Kashmiris, end the impunity of its security forces and allow access to a UN fact-finding team to investigate the human rights violations there.
He said that India’s denial of access to the UN fact-finding team is a desperate attempt to hide its atrocities in the most militarised zone of the world.
He added that India must end its illegal occupation and resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with wishes of Kashmiri people as laid down in numerous UN Security Council resolutions.
Later, replying to the Indian statement, Pakistan stated that the Kashmiri’s struggle for a ‘right to self-determination’ cannot be dubbed as terrorism.