ISLAMABAD – Pakistan strongly responds over the US Congress initiativeagainst India over Occupied Kashmir.
Pakistan has welcomed the public hearing of Tom Lantos Human RightsCommission of the US Congress on the human rights situation in IndianOccupied Kashmir (IoK).
In a statement, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal saidthe deliberations of the commission reinforced internationally recognizeddisputed nature of the IoK issue and highlighted gross human rightsviolations and the humanitarian crisis there.
The FO spokesperson said the latest hearing in the Lantos Commission isanother illustration of the world community’s serious concern over theunacceptable situation in Occupied Kashmir and the need to address iturgently.
He said Pakistan recognizes efforts of US Congress members who have raisedtheir voices of conscience on the ongoing persecution of the Kashmiripeople and called upon the Indian government to end its brutal repression.
“We appreciate that the US leadership and lawmakers are cognizant of thepotential threats to fundamental human rights, freedom of speech, right ofself-determination, and peace and stability in the region and are willingto play their due role to help bring the continuing humanitarian nightmareto an end,” Dr Faisal said maintained.
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The general view during the hearing was that international journalists,independent human rights organizations and United Nations (UN) SpecialRapporteurs should be allowed to visit IoK. The witnesses also called forimmediate lifting of the communications blockade and restoration of humanrights in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
It is noteworthy that overall, it was emphasized that India should not beallowed to continue its oppressive policies as well as religious and ethnicpersecution. The international community was urged to hold independentinvestigations into grave human rights violations in the occupied territory.
The FO spokesperson said the courage of the panellists who became the voiceof innocent Kashmiri people being brutally silenced by India’scommunications blockade is laudable.
