ISLAMABAD: Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Thursday said that Pakistan has intensified its diplomatic efforts to sensitize the world of the ongoing atrocities against Kashmiri people in different parts of the Indian-held Jammu Kashmir.
Winding up debate in the Senate on an adjournment motion about the killing of innocents Kashmiris and gross human rights violation at the hands of the Indian forces in the disputed state, he said that six letters had been written to presidents of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council, Human Rights Commission and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the plight of Kashmiris and the excesses of the Indian forces.
Over 50 innocent Kashmiris have been martyred and over 3500 wounded including 120 have lost their vision after the Indian forces used brutal force against them, he informed the lawmakers. He said that a good and encouraging reaction of the international community had come and the OIC secretary general, US State Department, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Human Rights Commission had expressed concern over the recent human rights violations in the disputed state.
Even within India, he said there were strong voices over the brutal use of force in the disputed state and the uprising had also been referred to as indigenous. The adviser said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif issued a strongly worded statement expressing deep shock on the killing of innocent people. The foreign affairs secretary summoned the Indian High Commission and lodged strong protest.
He said that Pakistan would continue to highlight the matter at all fora for effective measures to help the Kashmiri people. Pakistan would continue to extend moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris, he said. He also said that there was a need to initiate a serious dialogue over the issue to resolve it and make a national policy representing the entire nation. He said that a joint session of the parliament on Kashmir would be convened in next few days.
– Geelani’s four-point formula –
Supporting four-point formula of Srinagar-based Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, he said that the involvement of Kashmiri leadership was vital for the success of any talks on the issue and a step forward. He said that Pakistan would approach the Human Rights Council of the United Nations to send a fact finding mission to the Indian-held Kashmir to investigate the slaughter of innocent civilians and impose a ban on the use of pellet guns for dispersing the protestors.
He said that Pakistan would approach the Human Rights Council of the United Nations on its own behalf and on behalf of the OIC Contact Group on Kashmir. He said that the spontaneous and widespread uprising proves that Kashmir struggle was indigenous and rejected the Indian accusations against Pakistan for stirring trouble in the disputed state.
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