UN fact finding mission invited by Pakistan to visit Azad Kashmir
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ISLAMABAD: (APP) After Indian authorities denied the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights access to Indian Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan Thursday said the UN fact finding team must visit Azad Jammu and Kashmir to see the peace there.
"Pakistan has never prevented UN officials from travelling to Azad Jammu and Kashmir. However, while welcoming any UN team that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights may wish to send to AJK, we cannot accept equating the rampant human rights violations in IOK with the situation in AJK," the Foreign Office said in a statement.
The spokesman said in fact, today, the contrast between grim reality in IOK and the peaceful situation in AJK could not be more stark. It is, therefore, essential that the UN fact finding team must visit IOK, he added.
In response to Pakistan's request, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has offered to send fact finding missions to both Indian Occupied Kashmir and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He said as the HC was aware, AJK was an area open to everyone and was frequented by foreign tourists and members of the diplomatic community in Pakistan, including representatives of the United Nations, where they had observed recent elections and met cross section of people.
On July 15, 2016, Pakistan had requested the UN to send a fact finding mission to Indian Occupied Kashmir to report on the gross violations of human rights since July 8, 2016. Since that letter was written, the situation has deteriorated further.
In the past 40 days, more than 80 innocent young Kashmiris have been killed, 6000 wounded and 120 blinded as a result of brutal action by the Indian Security forces to suppress peaceful protests. There has been constant curfew during this period in IOK and a complete media blackout.
