India is not democratic but fascist state: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called upon the international community to see the reality of India as "state-sponsor of terrorism" and also a "purveyor of anti-Pakistan propaganda globally". The Foreign Office Spokesperson, at a weekly press briefing, said India, which masqueraded itself as a victim of terrorism for too long, had fully been exposed at international level. He said that India is not democratic but fascist state.

Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry mentioned that the international scrutiny of India’s global disinformation campaign against Pakistan continued following the release of EU DisInfo Lab report that exposed India-backed network of media outlets. He termed the hearing by the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union including Disinformation as "an acknowledgment of the international community against misuse of prestigious platforms by India against Pakistan".

On situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), he said, the Kashmiris in IIOJ&K and all over the world observed the Republic Day of India on January as Black Day. "By observing the Republic Day of India as Black Day, the Kashmiris, once again, made their aspirations clear," he said. The FO Spokesman said they sent an unambiguous message to the world community that Kashmiris would never accept India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the indigenous movement of Kashmiri people for their inalienable right to self-determination, as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, would only become stronger in the face of state-terrorism by the RSS-BJP regime.

He expressed Pakistan's deep concern over the continued incarceration and deteriorating health conditions of Kashmiri leaders, including Asiya Andrabi, Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Yasin Malik, Masarat Alam Bhat, Mohammad Ashraf Sehraie and others.

He mentioned that the Indian government, through invoking draconian laws, promulgated in IIOJ&K had illegally arrested these Kashmiri leaders over malicious, false and fabricated charges. "Imprisonment and torturing of Kashmiri leaders on the basis of their political ideology and struggle against illegal Indian occupation is a true reflection of the extremist mindset of the RSS-BJP regime which has no respect for the human rights of the Kashmiri people," he said.

Zahid Chaudhry said Pakistan once again called upon the international community, particularly the United States (US), United Nations, ICRC and human rights and humanitarian organizations, to take notice of the Indian government’s inhuman treatment of the Kashmiri leaders and raise voice for their immediate release from illegal Indian detention.