Munir Akram asks India to end its oppression & human rights violations against people of Kashmir

NEW YORK, Feb 05 (SABAH): “The new year continues to witness this intense level of violence and state terrorism” where “at least sixteen innocent Kashmiris were martyred during the first month of 2022” said Permanent Representative of Pakistan to United Nations Munir Akram on Saturday at a virtual commemoration to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day, organized by Pakistan Mission to the United Nations, New York.

In his keynote address, Munir Akram demanded India to reverse its unilateral and illegal measures instituted since 5th August 2019; end its oppression and human rights violations against the people of Kashmir; and halt and reverse the demographic changes in the occupied territory.

Briefing the participants, Ambassador Munir Akram noted that “several UN Special Rapporteurs and Mandate Holders of the Human Rights Council have sent 12 Joint Communications to India in the last two years calling on India to halt its human rights violations”. “The High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has also expressed her concern and called for the release of human rights defenders and other political prisoners” he added. “The world media and human rights organizations have also voiced their condemnation of the human rights situation in IIOJ&K, such as the report of Human Rights Watch released last month”, he said. “Yet, the “Hindutva” Government in New Delhi continues to brazenly deny access to the occupied terror, the HCHR, the Special Rapporteurs, international media and human rights organizations” he expressed his concern.

While, mentioning Pakistan’s efforts in this regard, he added that “In September 2021, the Government of Pakistan released a comprehensive 131-page dossier containing evidence on the entire range of gross, systematic, and widespread violations of human rights perpetrated by Indian forces in IIOJK”. “Recently, a law firm in London, Stoke White, has issued a report based on more than 2,000 testimonies taken between 2020 and 2021 uncovering war crimes perpetrated by Indian Occupation Forces in IIOJ&K” he said. He shared his concerns in this regard, warning that “The “Hindutva” ideology of the BJP-RSS government in India has created the danger of genocide in IIOJK”. “Professor Gregory Stanton, the founder of Genocide Watch, warned in unambiguous words that a genocide of Muslims could very well happen in India during a congressional briefing in the United States in December 2021” he added.

The event was moderated by Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to United Nations. The event featured distinguished Ambassadors/representative from Organization of Islamic Council (OIC) who joined Pakistan Mission in expressing solidarity with Kashmiris. This includes Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan, Ambassador Yashar Aliyev; Ms. Amina Kader from OIC Observer Mission; Mohamed Alateek, Deputy Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabian Mission to the UN; and Oncu Keceli, from Turkish Mission to the United Nations. The events also featured distinguished Panelists including Dr. Imtiaz Khan, Professor, George Washington University; Dr. Farhan Mujahid Chak, Secretary General, Kashmir Civitas; Dr. Rabia Akhtar, Director, Centre for Security, Strategy and Policy Research at the University of Lahore; Ms. Victoria Schofield, a renowned historian, Muzzamil Ayuub Thakur, Director of the Justice Foundation: Kashmir Institute of International Affairs, Ms. Shaista Safi, Kashmiri Youth Representative, and Abdelhamid Siyam, a Palestinian professor and UN correspondent, among others.

In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Munir Akram called on the international community to act in support of the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of Kashmiris. He reiterated that Pakistan would continue to extend all possible support to the Kashmiris till the realization of their unalienable right to self-determination in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.