PM hands over dossier on Indian brutality in Kashmir to UN chief

Says dossier to be shared with permanent members of Security Council

As Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif continued his meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session on Thursday, he handed over a dossier on Indian atrocities in the occupied Kashmir to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Speaking to Pakistani journalists, the prime minister said he had handed over the dossier to the UN secretary general, adding that the UN chief appeared “deeply moved” when he leafed through the document containing photographs of the brutalities unleashed by Indian security forces that have resulted in 107 deaths and injuries to thousands more, with 150 blinded by deadly pellet guns. “It seems that the UN chief had not seen those photographs,” he said.

Nawaz said that the dossier would also be shared with the permanent members of UN Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – and Pakistani diplomats around the world were under instructions to apprise the governments of the human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The campaign to expose Indian atrocities on the Kashmiri people would be taken forward, he said.

Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, who was seated next to the prime minister, said that the dossier was going through a process at the UN before deciding its course of action.

She said that before his meeting with the UN Secretary General on Wednesday, the prime minister had written two letters to him in which he had called for the implementation of UN resolutions on the decades-old Kashmir dispute and the dispatch of a fact-finding mission to Indian occupied Kashmir.

The prime minister, who was responding to reporters’ questions, said he praised the UN chief’s offer of his good offices to resolve the issues between India and Pakistan, but emphasised that the Kashmir resolutions were UN’s own resolutions and that the world has the duty and responsibility to implement its decisions. “I told him (Ban) that it was in the interest of UN’s credibility to implement its resolutions,” Nawaz said.

“The Kashmiri people have been oppressed for decades by the strong-arm tactics of the Indian occupation forces and it is but natural that they would react ultimately. But India is campaigning to divert attention to the popular uprising in Kashmir by blaming Pakistan. That tactic won’t succeed,” he added.

The prime minister said that he had raised the Kashmir issue in every meeting he had with leaders from around the world attending the 71st session of the UN General Assembly and his message was getting through.

The prime minister dispelled the impression that Pakistan was isolated, as claimed by some quarters, and Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who was present at the press conference, added that it was not the case. “That is a wrong impression,” Chaudhry said.

UN chief urges resolution of Kashmir dispute:

In a statement by the United Nations, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan through talks in his meeting with the Pakistani prime minister.

“The Secretary-General stressed the need for Pakistan and India to address their outstanding issues, including Kashmir, through dialogue in the interest of both countries and the region as a whole,” the statement said.

“The secretary-general expressed appreciation to Pakistan for its hosting of one of the largest groups of refugees for decades,” the statement said, referring to the millions of Afghan refugees in the country.

Iran interested in CPEC:

In a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Iranian President Dr Hassan Rouhani expressed his country’s desire to be part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Both sides expressed satisfaction on the positive trajectory of bilateral ties between Pakistan and Iran. Rouhani reportedly lauded the vision of Nawaz Sharif for translating CPEC into a reality and expressed his desire to be part of the CPEC.

They noted progress on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and electricity import from Iran would help overcome Pakistan’s energy shortages in the coming years. They shared the view that Gwadar and Chahbahar seaports would be instrumental in further promoting trade in the region.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif apprised President Rouhani of Indian brutalities in Kashmir, particularly in the past two months and stressed on the need for building unity and cohesion within the Muslim world. “Our culture, tradition and economy complement each other, and Pakistan is seeking to increase the level of its cooperation with Tehran,” said Sharif.

Rouhani expressed hope that the economic ties between both countries would strengthen. Iranian President said there is a need for defence cooperation between Iran and Pakistan. “Iran has always tried to keep “a border of security and friendship with Pakistan, and a lot of progress has been in this regard,” Rouhani said.