GENEVA – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Al-Husseinhas declared the situation in Occupied Kashmir as a matter of seriousconcern, reported *Radio Pakistan*.

He stated this during a meeting with over 500 representatives of civilsociety from across the globe, on sidelines of 37th session of Human RightsCouncil in Geneva.

This is a significant development because Zeid Al-Hussein holds distinctionof breaking United Nations half-century of silence on Kashmir when he addedKashmir to a formal list of urgent humanitarian crises, along with disputeslike Syria and Myanmar, in his policy statement in September 2016.

Al-Hussein did this after the extrajudicial murder of Kashmiri youthactivist, Burhan Wani in the held valley.

The High Commissioner created a second history when he sustained the focuson Kashmir throughout 2017, culminating with his announcement this monththat the UN will be launching a major report on the situation in Kashmir inJune 2018.

The UNHRC will hold its next session in June. – Agencies