*NEW YORK – The envoys of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) fromseveral countries expressed their solidarity with the people of occupiedKashmir (IoK) at a meeting organized at UN headquarters by Pakistan’sAmbassador Maleeha Lodhi.*
Briefing OIC envoys on the current state of human rights in occupied Jammuand Kashmir, ambassador Lodhi said the plight of the long-sufferingKashmiri people has been brought into fresh spotlight by the 14 June reportof the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ziad Ra’ad Al-Hussein.
“This is the first ever UN human rights report on the grim situation in theoccupied territory and covers the period between June 2016 and April 2018”,she said.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres also endorsed the report on 12 July, sheadded.
In his statement the Secretary General noted that the ‘action’ of the HighCommissioner represents the ‘voice’ of the UN on the issue, she saidpointing out that this lends ownership by the entire UN system to thereport.
She said that while the findings of the report are neither new, norsurprising, “they speak of a litany of systematic violations of thefundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people”.*Violation of Kashmiris’ rights:*
Ambassador Lodhi highlighted key aspects of the report, especially theimpunity with which human rights are being violated and the lack of accessto justice.
She also referred to the Report’s mention of special laws in forceincluding the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Public SafetyAct (PSA), it says have created ‘structures’ that “obstruct the normalcourse of law, impede accountability and jeopardize the right to remedy forvictims of human rights violations”.
The report, she said, also noted the resort to excessive force byoccupation forces and their failure to adhere to applicable national andinternational standards on the use of force. One of the most lethal weaponsused against innocent protesters, she stressed, was the pellet-firingshot-gun, which the Pakistani envoy said had led to the first mass blindingin human history.
Referring to the UN High Commissioner’s call to set up a Commission ofInquiry to conduct a comprehensive, independent international investigationinto allegations of human rights violations and abuses in Kashmir,Ambassador Lodhi urged OIC Ambassadors to endorse and support the move.
The briefing by Ambassador Lodhi was followed by an interactive dialogue.The OIC Ambassadors reiterated their support to the legitimate cause of theKashmir people and expressed their readiness to work with Pakistan inimplementation of the Report.
The meeting was attended by ambassadors and Deputy PermanentRepresentatives of Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Niger, Turkey, Iran, Algeria,Somalia, Sudan and the representative of the OIC to the UN.
Later, Ambassador Lodhi also held a meeting with representatives of variousKashmiri organizations based in the Tri-State Area and briefed them on thereport of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.