ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has welcomed the US House of Representative’sSub-Committee on Asia & the Pacific public hearing on human rightssituation in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisalsaid Pakistan appreciates the efforts of the Members of U.S. Congress whohave raised their voice on the persecution of the people Indian OccupiedKashmir.
He said more than 70 members of the U.S. Congress and several prominentpolitical figures including those intending to join the Presidentialelection race, have publicly spoken on the Kashmir issue.
The spokesperson said the US Congressional hearing has brought out threekey elements that Kashmir is a disputed territory and the current humanrights situation is alarming. He said it also demonstrated that the U.S.leadership and lawmakers are cognizant of the potential threats to peaceand stability in the region and willing to play their due role to helpresolve the dispute.
The spokesperson said the latest hearing in the U.S. House ofRepresentatives is timely and shows the world community’s continued concernover the unacceptable situation in occupied Kashmir and the need to addressit urgently.
The spokesperson noted that the US congressional deliberations were mostlyfocused on the grave human rights and humanitarian situation in occupiedKashmir. Members of the Sub-Committee noted that India’s illegal andunilateral actions of August 5 and subsequent lockdown have created ahumanitarian crisis with security implications for the entire region.
Read Top Stories
Heart rending accounts of detentions, beatings and torture of innocentKashmiris remained the most poignant part of the hearing, which evoked aunified reaction from Members for an urgent end to these violations.
At the hearing, senior officials of the State Department expressed U.S.concern over the human rights situation. Members of the Congress alsoexpressed their indignation and shock over the refusal of permission by theIndian authorities to U.S. lawmakers and journalists to travel to Kashmir.
Senior US Administration officials inter alia repeated President Trump’soffer of mediation. Dr Muhammad said that Pakistan for its part haswelcomed the U.S. President’s offer as we believe that the internationalcommunity has a role to play in averting risks to peace and stability inthe region and facilitating a just and lasting solution to the Jammu &Kashmir dispute.
