World must ensure respect for rights in IOK

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday said the ongoing human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) had fully exposed the Indian façade of being the so-called ‘largest democracy’.

In his message to the nation on the Kashmir Black Day annually observed on October 27, the prime minister said the world community and international human rights organisations and the media were calling India out on its tyranny in the IOK.

He said the Kashmir Black Day being observed in Pakistan and across the world this year was distinct from the past.

“Pakistan, the Kashmiris and the Muslim Ummah have categorically rejected this travesty of law and justice,” he remarked.

The prime minister said since August 5, 2019, the scale and intensity of the Indian government’s human rights violations had increased manifolds.

Through the deployment of additional troops and an unprecedented media and communications blackout, that has continued for almost three months, the IOK has been turned into the largest prison on the planet.

“There is a shortage of medicines and essential food items.

Thousands have been arbitrarily detained. Thousands of young boys have been abducted, incarcerated in undisclosed locations, and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment. The Indian state-terrorism has turned even more atrocious,” the prime minister stated.

He reiterated Pakistan’s demands for immediate lifting of curfew and communications blackout as well as rescinding of India’s illegal and unilateral actions.

He urged the international community to play its role in ensuring respect for the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people and averting grave risks to peace and security posed by India’s irresponsible actions.

Expressing Pakistan’s unshakable solidarity with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the prime minister assured Kashmiri people that Pakistan would always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

“Pakistan will continue its full moral, political and diplomatic support until the Kashmiri people realise their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the applicable UN Security Council resolutions,” he added.

In his message, President Dr Arif Alvi reaffirmed Pakistan’s unflinching moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of IOK with the solemn pledge that it would continue till realisation of their legitimate right to self-determination.

The president said on this day, seventy-two years ago, Indian security forces landed in Srinagar to occupy, oppress and terrorise the innocent people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in blatant violation of international law and morality.

“Today, we pay homage to the martyrs for the cause of Kashmir and honour all those who have suffered at the hands of Indian occupying forces,” he added.

The president said the United Nations Security Council through several of its resolutions had upheld the fundamental right of the Kashmiri people to decide their own future through a fair and impartial plebiscite held under the UN auspices.

He noted that reneging on its repeated commitments to the international community to implement these resolutions, India continued on the path of brutal suppression of the Kashmiri people to this day.

“Since August 5th this year, India has imposed an inhuman lockdown over 8 million people in IOJ&K. Use of torture, enforced disappearances and restrictions on freedom of movement and assembly are the stark realities today,” he said.