Qureshi draws world body's attention to Kashmiris' plight

ISLAMABAD: As part of Pakistan’s sustained diplomatic outreach, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has approached the president of the Security Council and UN Secretary General to apprise them of India’s continuing gross and systematic violations of human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

In his letter, he underscored that all unilateral and illegal measures taken by India in the occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of international law, including relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the 4th Geneva Convention, such as changes in the demographic structure, usurpation of land and farcical “elections”, are null and void.

Drawing attention to India’s perpetration of terrorism and subversion against Pakistan, the foreign minister recalled the detailed dossier presented to the UN containing irrefutable evidence of India’s active planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing and execution of terrorist activities against Pakistan.

India’s smear campaign to malign Pakistan internationally revealed through the EU DisinfoLab report has also been brought to the attention of the Security Council.

Qureshi’s letter noted that the recent exposé of transcripts in the Indian media further establishes its orchestration of “false flag” operations and belligerent actions for domestic political and electoral gains.

He apprised the Security Council of alarming incident in December 2020 of firing upon a clearly marked vehicle of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), threatening the safety and security of UN peacekeepers and impeding the fulfillment of their mandate.

He called upon the Security Council to urge India to immediately lift the continuing military siege and rescind the illegal and unilateral actions in IIOJK.

The FM called for removal of restrictions on communications, movement and peaceful assembly, release of incarcerated Kashmiri political leaders as well as all arbitrarily and illegally detained Kashmiris, and reversal of the new domicile rules and property laws designed to change the demographic structure of IIOJK.

He further called upon the UN Security Council to exercise its legal and moral authority to secure the implementation of its resolutions on Jammu & Kashmir which guarantee the Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination.