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Thursday March 28, 2024

Pakistan condemns killing of innocent Kashmiris in IHK

By Mariana Baabar
October 23, 2018

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the horrific killing of 14 innocent Kashmiris at the hands of Indian occupation forces in its continued acts of state terrorism in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK), with voices from the valley asking Pakistan to do much more.

Both Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told India to realise that it was time to move on. Imran Khan in a Twitter message said, “Strongly condemn the new cycle of killings of innocent Kashmiris in IOK by Indian security forces. It is time India realised it must move to resolve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue in accordance with the UN SC resolutions & the wishes of the Kashmiri people.”

Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq immediately responded through a tweet saying, “People appreciate Pakistan’s concern, to put an end to the appalling grind of repression and human rights abuse that Kashmiris are suffering at the hands of Indian state urgently requires #Pakistan as a party to the dispute to do much more.”

Qureshi meanwhile asked the international community to take swift action against human rights violations in the IHK by the Indian occupation forces, and adhere to the OHCHR report on Jammu and Kashmir.

The government urged that India should immediately stop bloodshed in the IHK and allow the OHCHR’s Commission of Inquiry to visit the IHK and investigate. According to media reports from Srinagar, Sunday saw seven civilians, including a 15-year-old boy, killed in an explosion.

“The people of IHK are being victimised to quell their struggle for the realisation of their legitimate right to self-determination. Pakistan mourns, with its brothers and sisters in IHK, on this unabated killing spree and salutes the courage and commitment of the people of Indian Held Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah Mehmood said.

He said it was time India realise it must move to resolve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

In Srinagar, media reports pointed to National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah Sunday who termed as “highly unfortunate” the killing of civilians near a gunfight site in Laroo Kulgam and called for immediate end to such killings. In a statement, Farooq said: “It is heartrending to learn about such incidents which have become norm. The situation calls for immediate de-escalation from all sides.”

Omar took to Twitter about the Kulgam killings and wrote, “How long can the ground realities be ignored and living in denial of bad situation in Kashmir. Terrible news coming out from Kulgam. May the deceased find place in Jannat. Alienating the people in the fight against militancy is a sure fire recipe for losing the fight. How long can we go on ignoring the ground realities and living in denial about how bad things are in Kashmir?”