- Andrabi says Pakistan to continue its moral, political support to Kashmiri people
GENEVA: Pakistan has raised the issue of India’s grave human rights violations in the Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) during the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council, being held here in Switzerland.
Speaking at the Human Rights Council, Pakistan’s deputy permanent representative Tahir Andrabi called on India to stop killing Kashmiri civilians, end the impunity enjoyed by its security forces and allow unfettered access to the UN fact-finding team to investigate human rights violations in the disputed state.
He said that India’s denial of access to the UN fact-finding team was a desperate attempt to hide its atrocities in the most militarised zone of the world. Terming Indian occupation of Jammu Kashmir was the root of the problem, Pakistan demanded the UN to continue documenting human rights abuses by India in the disputed state.
Andrabi said that India must end its illegal occupation and resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with wishes of the Kashmiri people as laid down in numerous UN Security Council resolutions. Replying to the Indian statement, Pakistan stated that Kashmiri struggle for the right to self-determination cannot be subsumed under the label of terrorism.
He said that India’s illegal occupation, massive human rights abuses, extra-judicial executions and economic exploitation of the territory continue to stir the Kashmiri freedom movement. He said that Pakistan would continue to give its moral and political support to the Kashmiri people in realisation of their inalienable right to self-determination.
The topic of the debate at the Human Rights Council was the annual report of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, who had regretted India’s denial of unconditional access in the Kashmiri state to the UN human rights investigators. The report also noted with concern that discrimination and violence directed at minorities, particularly Muslims was on rise in India. In some cases, this injustice appears actively endorsed by local or religious officials.