ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Friday said the letter from Europeanparliamentarians to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlightingatrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) was a reminder that Indiancould not detract the international community from its reprehensible actsof terrorism in the valley.
The Foreign Office in a statement expressed gratitude to the Europeanparliamentarians for writing an open letter to the Indian Prime Ministerthat highlighted the ongoing atrocities in IoK.
“On its part, Pakistan will continue to extend moral, political anddiplomatic support to its Kashmiri brothers and sisters in Indian occupiedJammu and Kashmir until the realization of the legitimate right toself-determination,” the statement added.
The Foreign Office said the significant development followed on the heelsof historic exchange of views on the human rights situation in Jammu andKashmir organized by the European Committee on Human Rights. The meetingwas held for the first time in more than a decade, where concerns ofPakistan as well as the people of Jammu and Kashmir regarding India’s humanrights abuses in IoK were discussed.
The Foreign Office mentioned that the European Parliamentarians in theirletter conveyed particular concern on the blatant use of pellet shotgunswhich continued to mass blind innocent civilians, women and childrenincluding a 19-month-old Hiba Nisar.
The MEPs in their letter had communicated concerns over the use ofdraconian laws, such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and PublicSafety Act (PSA) which accord virtual impunity to the Indian occupationforces in IoK.
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The MEPs also called for urgently repeal of the Armed Forces (Jammu andKashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 and amend the Jammu and Kashmir PublicSafety Act, 1978 to ensure its compliance with international human rightslaw.
They also stressed effective reparation and rehabilitation to those who hadbeen injured by pellet-firing shotguns and to the families of those killed.
The letter also emphasized on establishing independent and impartialinvestigations into all accidents where the use of pellet-firing shotgunsled to deaths or serious injuries.
Earlier, the reports on Jammu and Kashmir by the Office of the HighCommissioner for Human Rights and the UK Parliament’s All PartiesParliamentary Kashmir Group (APPKG) had called upon the Indian governmentto carry out a comprehensive investigation into its abuses in IoK.
