Pakistan fears more ‘mass graves’ in IHK

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday set alarm bells ringing by warning that there was likelihood that more mass graves could soon be uncovered in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK), as more than 10,000 arrested Kashmiri youth are still missing.

“Since Burhan Muzaffar Wani’s extra-judicial killing on 8th July, 2016 by the Indian occupation forces in IHK, India in complete violation of the UN Charter and international law on fundamental rights has been randomly arresting innocent Kashmiris using the draconian laws or lawless laws such as Public Safety Act,” said the spokesman at the Foreign Office during weekly media briefing.

He said there was room for concern and questions being asked if more than 10,000 arrested Kashmiri youth in the last five months have been tortured and would end up in ‘mass graves’ as the ones uncovered in 2009.

The uncovering of these mass graves left not only New Delhi, but all important world capitals unconcerned and now after nearly seven years there are fears that this torture could be repeated while using draconian laws.

“The international community must stop Indian brutalities and bloodshed of Kashmiris. We call upon the UN, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other such organisations to call India to account for its blatant violations of human rights,” added the spokesman.

He also belatedly mentioned that in November, an International European Kashmir Conference in Denmark adopted the Copenhagen Declaration for release of those arrested under lawless laws immediately and arrest those who used pellet guns to blind Kashmiris.

Five hundred various political and social organisations and NGO’s adopted the Copenhagen Declaration. Another point of concern pointed out on Thursday was New Delhi’s attempt of settling non-Kashmiris in Jammu in an attempt to change the demographic composition of the region. “Reportedly, PDP-BJP regime, a result of sham elections in IHK in violation of UNSC resolutions, has started issuing domicile certificates to non-Kashmiri Hindus in Jammu region. The move is part of the regime’s nefarious designs to change the demographic composition of the territory,” said the spokesman.

He pointed out that this act of bringing material change in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir is a blatant violation of UNSC resolutions on Kashmir. Kashmiris have hopes that international community and relevant international organisations will call India to the account.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office without going into details said that the Russia, Pakistan and China trilateral meeting, which will also focus on Afghanistan, will be held in Moscow on December 27.

“The foreign secretary will lead the Pakistani delegation in this meeting. This is an existing forum for undertaking informal discussions on issues of regional peace and stability, including situation in Afghanistan,” said the spokesman.

Peace and stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of Pakistan and the entire region, explained the spokesman and this included remaining committed and extending all cooperation to the efforts towards bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan has played a very positive role in bringing warring factions to the negotiating table. Whenever we are approached to help bring the warring factions to the negotiating table, we will assist,” he said. He shrugged aside blame from Washington that Pakistan continued to host militants.  “This is more of rhetoric than anything else. Afghanistan is infested with most terrorist organisations due to instability there, which has created space for these terrorist elements. These are the facts which are known to all,” he said.

In this regard, he pointed to the UN study in 2014, killing of leaders and senior commanders of Haqqani network in Afghanistan. 

“I have earlier said that how many senior commanders of Haqqani network, Taliban, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups were killed in Afghanistan this year, which clearly indicates where these organisations’ leadership actually is,” he added.