A delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) led by Convenor Ghulam Muhammad Safi on Friday called on the Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari in Islamabad and discussed with the latter the prevailing rights situation in Indian-held Kashmir.
According to a ministry’s statement, the meeting discussed the United Nations report on Kashmir and explored ways to proceed further on conflict resolution.
Shireen Mazari told the APHC delegation that Pakistan was well aware of the brutalities of Indian occupation forces and violation of human rights in Indian-held Kashmir, adding that Pakistan would move beyond rhetoric to finding a conflict resolution solution premised on plebiscite.
“Innocent people of Kashmir valley are denied of the fundamental right to self-determination, which is guaranteed by the international resolutions,” Mazari said.
She said that international community should come forward to resolve the longstanding issue of Kashmir.
She said that human rights violations in Held Kashmir were crimes against humanity and the situation was very deploring.
“India is committing serious violation of human rights in. Pakistan fully supports the freedom movement of the people of Kashmir and will continue its support for freedom fighters,” said the minister.
The APHC delegation included Sayyed Faiz Naqshbandi, Mehmood Ahmad Saghar, Abdul Hameed Lone, Raja Khadim Hussain and Shamim Shawal.
A United Nations Human Rights Commission report issued earlier this year said that Indian security forces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a very high number of injuries in Kashmir.
Citing civil society estimates, the report said that up to 145 civilians were killed by the security forces between mid-July 2016 and the end of March 2018.
One of the most dangerous weapons used against protesters in 2016 – and which is still being employed by India security forces – was the pellet-firing shotgun.
According to official figures, 17 people were killed by shotgun pellets between July 2016 and August 2017, and 6,221 people were injured by metal pellets between 2016 and March 2017. Civil society organisations believe that many of them have been partially or completely blinded.
Published in Daily Times, October 13th 2018.
