Pakistan lauds EU MPs for calling out Indian atrocities

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday welcomed a letter on the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) addressed by members of the European Parliament to the president and vice-president of the European Commission.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, responding to media queries, said the letter was yet another demonstration of the continuing global censure of the ongoing human rights violations and humanitarian crisis in the occupied region.

Despite India continuously peddling false propaganda in futile attempts to push the "sham narrative" of so-called "normalcy" in occupied Kashmir, the global censure and condemnation of Indian atrocities in the region continue, Chaudhri said.

The spokesperson said the condemnations have increased in the wake of the egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in occupied Kashmir after India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019.

The spokesperson highlighted that the United Nations Security Council has discussed the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at least three times since 5 August 2019. "The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has issued two reports in 2018 and 2019, making specific recommendations including the institution of an Independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the gross and systematic human rights violations by India in the occupied territory," he said.

Global parliaments have debated the issue of Jammu and Kashmir; the international human rights and humanitarian organisations, as well as global media, have consistently raised the issue of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, he said.

The spokesperson said India must realise that it cannot ignore the international community’s continuing calls to end its grave and systematic human rights violations of the Kashmiri people.

"India will have to ultimately give in to global conscience, end its unabated human rights violations in parts of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation and take steps for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people."