Pakistan has lauded the second report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Jammu and Kashmir, which calls for fully respecting the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as protected under the international law.
Indian Diplomat From Jammu & Kashmir Rips-Apart Pakistan at UN For State Sponsored Terrorism
The Pakistan Perspective
The Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement said we again welcome the OHCHR’s recommendation for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the gross and systematic human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The Report once again recognizes human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. It documents the excessive use of force by the Indian occupation forces, the continued use of pellet guns to kill and maim defenceless civilians and extrajudicial killings in the garb of a so-called cordon and search operations, reports Pakistan Media.
It also records the use of various forms of arbitrary arrests and detentions to target protestors and political dissidents, the impunity from accountability enjoyed by the Indian forces under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Public Safety Act.
Repeat of 1965 – Pakistan Fortifying Punjab, Leaving Other ‘Less Significant’ Regions Vulnerable?
The report also notes the restrictions on expression and movement of independent journalists to prevent the voices of Kashmiris reaching the international community. The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson reiterated that there is simply no parallel between the horrendous human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the prevailing environment in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan administered Kashmir)
India, Pakistan, Autonomy or Freedom: What is the Permanent Solution to the Kashmir Dispute?
Pakistan says that unlike Jammu and Kashmir, which is the most militarized zone in the world, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan remain open to foreign visitors. The only solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute is to grant the people of occupied Kashmir the legitimate Right to self-determination as recognized by the numerous United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which is essential for the security and stability of South Asia and beyond.
