–Imran calls out int’l media for prioritising coverage of Hong Kong protests over Kashmir situation
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “played his last card” by downgrading the autonomy of occupied Kashmir, stressing that the residents of the disputed region will not accept the decision.
“Narendra Modi committed a mistake, he has played his last card,” he told the participants of a ‘human chain’ event held in Islamabad to express solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir.
He said Modi thinks that the people of occupied Kashmir will accept the decision of revoking Article 370.
“He [Modi] doesn’t know that what the Kashmiri people have faced in the last several decades, it has eliminated the fear of death among them. Tens of thousands of Kashmiri people will not accept the decision and come out when the curfew is lifted,” he added.
Prime Minister Imran said people had gathered in the federal capital to deliver a message to the people of occupied Kashmir that the Pakistani nation stands with them. “We will continue reminding the international community that eight million humans have been locked up in Kashmir,” he vowed.
The premier regretted the wall-to-wall coverage of the Hong Kong protests by international media, and the relative silence surrounding the treatment of the people of Kashmir.
“I want to highlight the issue of double standards as Kashmir is not a part of India and Hong Kong is a part of China but the proportion of coverage of the Kashmiri people is very less as compared to the issue of Hong Kong,” he said.
“Our movement is for the human rights of the Kashmiri people; God willing it will become massive,” the prime minister added.
His address came after a large number of people gathered in the capital after Friday prayers to form a ‘human chain’ from D-Chowk to Radio Pakistan Chowk in a show of solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir. Prime Minister Imran joined the chain as it passed through the Prime Minister’s Office.
Earlier in the day, PM Imran wrote on Twitter: “I am puzzled as to how international media continues to give headline coverage to Hong Kong protests but ignores the dire human rights crisis in IOJK — an internationally recognised disputed territory illegally annexed by India with 900,000 troops imposing a siege on 8 million Kashmiris [contd] for over 2 months, with a complete blackout of communications, thousands imprisoned — including [the] entire spectrum of political leadership plus children — and a growing humanitarian crisis.”
“In IOJK, 100,000 Kashmiris have been killed over 30 years fighting for their right to self-determination as committed to them by the international community through UN Security Council resolutions,” he added.
For over 2 months with a complete blackout of communications, thousands imprisoned,including entire spectrum of political leadership plus children, & a growing humanitarian crisis. In IOJK 100k Kashmiris have been killed over 30 yrs fighting for their right to self determination
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 11, 2019
The tweets came ahead of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting to reconfigure ties strained by tough talk on the occupied Kashmir issue by both sides.
Xi had earlier met Prime Minister Imran in China. A joint statement issued after talks between President Xi and Premier Imran said that China is paying “close attention” to the situation in the Kashmir and that it should be properly based on the UN Charter.
‘BREAK THE CHAINS’:
Addressing the event, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan said the premier had promised to the Kashmiri people that he will approach each and every forum to highlight their plight.
She the message delivered by the prime minister with his participation in the human chain was of “connectivity — of one hand with another and one heart with another”.
“The chain was formed to shake the silence of the global community and the international media,” she said, adding that Prime Minister Imran had once again told the world that the Pakistani nation will continue to raise voices for Kashmir.
“The human chain will ultimately break the chains and jails of the Kashmiri people.”
The people of Kashmir have been living under curfew-like conditions for over two months now.
