India has transformed occupied Kashmir into planet's largest prison, FM Qureshi tells UNHRC

ISLAMABAD:  Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that India has transformed Occupied Kashmir into the world’s largest prison, ARY News reported on Tuesday.  

While addressing the 42nd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, he urged the UNHRC to constitute a commission of inquiry for an investigation into blatant and grave human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

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“UNHRC should take steps to bring to justice the perpetrators of human rights violations of the innocent Kashmir people,” he added.

FM Qureshi has said that the UN Human Rights Council should urge India to immediately lift the curfew and reverse the clampdown and communications blackout in occupied Kashmir.

India should also be asked to stop the use of pellet guns, end the bloodshed and restore fundamental freedoms and liberties, he added.

The Foreign Minister said India should be called upon to allow unhindered access to Human Rights Organizations and international media, to the occupied valley.

Voicing serious concerns over the situation in occupied Kashmir, the FM Qureshi added, “We must not remain indifferent to the tragedy that is unfolding before our eyes. We must act decisively and with conviction.”

Drawing attention towards the prevailing situation in occupied Kashmir, the Foreign Minister said the basic and inalienable human rights of Kashmiri people are being trampled with impunity by India, adding that Kashmiris are suffering systematic, and serial, violations of their fundamental freedoms.

Read More: Shah Mehmood Qureshi meets DG WHO in Geneva

He said over 6,000 people, political workers, activists, students, and professionals have been arrested, without due process of law. Many of them have been forcibly shipped to jails all over India, under draconian laws operative in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that India’s unilateral actions of August 5 of altering the status of occupied Kashmir recognized are illegal under international law.

The Foreign Minister said India’s efforts to hide its atrocities by falsely labelling freedom movement in occupied Kashmir terrorism and cross border terrorism are shameless and indefensible.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi warned India can once again resort to false-flag operations, and use the bogey of terrorism as a red herring, to divert international attention from atrocities in occupied Kashmir.

Referring to Line of Control (LoC) violations, the foreign minister said New Delhi has used cluster ammunition and heavy artillery on the line of control in flagrant disregard of fundamental norms of international humanitarian law.

“Reckless posture and draconian measures by India pose a grave threat to peace and security in nuclearised South Asia,” he concluded.