ISLAMABAD – The joint session of the Parliament continuing discussion onsituation of occupied Kashmir today.
The session is also discussing the Indian government’s move to revokeArticle 370 in the Indian Constitution which grants special status to theState of Jammu and Kashmir.
Taking part in the debate, Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazarisaid Indian attempts to change the status of Occupied Kashmir are not onlyillegal, but they also defy the Geneva Convention which attributes anychange in demographic composition of held territory as war crime.
She said with the revocation of Articles 370 and 35-A India has violatedthe Shimla Accord, the decisions of its superior courts and allinternational norms. Even the Supreme Court of India gave a ruling in 2016that central government cannot change these articles without the approvalof state government.
The Minister said the atrocities perpetrated by Indian security forces oninnocent Kashmiris are tantamount to genocide of native population and wemust make efforts to persuade international community to take action andstop India from these acts.
She said it is responsibility of the international community to intervenewhen there is a serious risk of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Referring to Indian use of cluster bombs on innocent population in AzadKashmir, she said both Pakistan and India are signatories to Convention onCluster Munitions and India has violated this international agreement. Shesaid our government has written a letter to UN High Commissioner for HumanRights and apprised of these violations of human rights. Our government hasalso demanded the UN to set up an independent investigative committee tofind out the human rights abuses being committed in Indian held Kashmir.
Dr. Shireen Mazari said government will use all international forums tohighlight the gravity of the situation and will also make efforts forcalling a special meeting of the UN Security Council.
She said we have to inform the world community that Pakistan will notremain silent if any misadventure is done against us.
Leader of Opposition in Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said India had beenpreparing for this step for long and already paved the way for domestic andinternational public opinion in its favor. Pakistan needs to mobilize theinternational public opinion against this step as Kashmiris are sufferingimmense human rights abuses by an occupying force. He said the UN Chartersbinds its members to avoid such steps that are discriminatory to nativepopulations.
JUI-F Parliamentary Leader Maulana Asad Mehmood said Pakistan stands withits Kashmiri brethren steadfastly. He said a strong message should be sentfrom Pakistan parliament that all political parties are on same page tocondemn the Indian step. He said the international community should bepersuaded to play a bigger role by forcing India to stop the oppression ofinnocent Kashmiri people. He questioned that if the US with all itsmilitary might could not succeed in occupying Afghanistan, how could Indiado the same in Kashmir.
Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Siraj ul Haq said India cannot suppress the right toself-determination of Kashmiris by use of brute force. He said Indiaplanned well ahead to carry out its plan of changing the demographiccomposition of Kashmir to annex the land. He warned that if a strongresponse is not given to India now, it can claim Azad Kashmir and GilgitBaltistan in the next phase. Siraj ul Haq said the lives and death ofKashmiris are with Pakistan and they see their future with us. He said itseems India revoked the articles granting special status to Kashmir inconnivance with the US and other world powers.
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He urged the government to organize an international conference inIslamabad to effectively highlight the issue of Kashmir to the worlddelegates.
Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Asif Ali Zardari said his party’s wasfounded on the sacrifices of Kashmiris. He said today pro-governmentMuslims of India have also realized that two-nation theory was right thatgranted a separate homeland to Muslims. Asif Ali Zardari said after theillegal annexation of Kashmir by India, we need to accelerate thediplomatic efforts. He paid rich tributes to the sacrifices of Kashmirisfighting against the illegal Indian occupation and preferring to be buriedin Pakistani flags. Asif Ali Zardari said the step taken by India to stripKashmir of its independent status has buried the secular status of thecountry. He predicted that separatist movements all across India will gainmomentum with this step.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary said the worldwill feel the heat if India and Pakistan go to war over Kashmir. He saidPakistan will not let India change the demographic composition of Kashmir.He said diplomatic relations with India need to be reviewed in the light ofrecent developments in Kashmir.
He urged all political parties to shun their differences and become unitedon the issue of Kashmir.
Veteran PPP leader Raza Rabbani expressed fear that India will now doethnic cleansing of Kashmiri population to strengthen its control onKashmir. He said this will be construed as state terrorism should Indiacontinues its policy unabated. Raza Rabbani said narrative on suppressionof Kashmiris voices and their genocide by the occupying authorities must bepromoted in the Western world. He suggested to change the course of foreignpolicy in order to achieve meaningful results. Raza Rabbani said anindependent foreign policy based on Pakistan’s national interest andsecurity, drawing the country away from the role of a client state,rebuilding Pakistan’s credibility in international corridors of power,refusing to accept India as regional policeman, stopping the realignment offoreign policy towards Washington and looking towards Asia as our futurewill result in diplomatic successes.
He also demanded the government to constitute a parliamentary party to takeforward the foreign policy of Pakistan.
Khalid Khan Magsi of Balochistan Awami Party said we as a nation need tostrengthen our identity and be able to convince the world of our viewpoint.He said India is trying to strengthen its occupation and we should not beshied away from war, in order to stop this happening.
Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said the Indian action to revokethe independent status of Kashmir will spur a new spirit of freedom inKashmiris. He said the freedom movement will not remain limited to Kashmironly. Rather, it would expand to UP and CP areas of India as well. SheikhRashid Ahmad said perhaps history is going to take a decision which willwrite a new chapter in the freedom struggle of Kashmiris.
Parliamentary leader of PML (F) Ghous Bux Mehr said we should take theissue of Kashmir to UN Security Council and apprise the world that therewas no agreement of Maharaja of Kashmir with the Indian government. He saidwe will fight to the last drop of blood if war is imposed on us. Ghous BuxMehr said we need to take our allies into confidence.
PML-N MNA Khawaja Asif said our jugular vein is in the grip of enemy andthe whole nation needs to speak with one voice to counter the Indianaggression. He said we need to rise above personal interests and politicsto resolve this national issue. Khawaja Asif said the hands of Modi arestained with the blood of Muslims and BJP wants to turn India into a Hindustate. He said a message should be sent from parliament that is reflectiveof the aspirations of the nation.
