*Mississauga, Canada: *
A Canada-based Pakistani Imam has claimed that the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein was in constant touchwith him while preparing his recent report on alleged human rightsviolations in Jammu and Kashmir. The report tears into both India andPakistan for human rights violations in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Based in Toronto, Zafar Bangash is an Imam at the Islamic Society of YorkRegion’s mosque, NDTV has reported.
While speaking at a conference on Kashmir in Canada’s Mississauga, MrBangash said, “I can say it to you, and I say it with all humility, butwith great pride that we ‘The Friends of Kashmir’ also have a role in theproduction of this report. In fact, I had personal correspondence with theHigh Commissioner for Human Rights, e-mail correspondence in which heresponded to my personal letter and e-mail saying that he would like tohave access to both sides of Line of Control.”
On June 14, the UN released its first ever human rights reportlink>onKashmir accusing security forces of gross human rights violations on bothsides of the border. The report demanded Pakistan stop using itsanti-terror legislation to crack down on activists. On the other hand, itaccused India of using excessive force on civilians.
India called the report “fallacious, tendentious and motivated”link>anda “compilation of unverified information”. India also registered a strongprotest with the United Nations on this report.
Confessing to lobbying and consulting officials in Islamabad, Mr Bangashsaid, “I responded to him (Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein) after speaking to theForeign Office spokesperson in Pakistan, MrNafees Zakaria, who used to bethe Consul General in Toronto and he assured that Pakistan would welcomethe UN High Commissioner and their representatives to Pakistan and theywill facilitate their visit…”
The event was also attended by the president of Pakistan-occupied KashmirSardar Masood Khan.