ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Thursday voiced serious concern over the “relentlesskilling, maiming, unlawful arrests and torture” by India against theinnocent civilians in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir and pointed that inJune alone 33 people have been killed by the Indian Army.

The Foreign Office spokesman reiterated the demand for immediateestablishment of Commission of Inquiry to assess the Human Rights situationin the region and said the reign of terror against the Kashmiris has becomea matter of routine. He said the recommendations of the The Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) need to beimplemented without delay.

“We urge the international community to call India to account for its gravehuman rights violations in IoK,” the Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal toldreporters here at the Foreign Office at the weekly briefing.

He said the Indian occupation forces continue to kill innocent defenselessKashmiris with impunity. He said in June thirty – three (33) Kashmiris weremartyred and at least 236 injured. Out of these, 7 youth were killed in afake encounter in Kupwara. Faisal said those martyred included threewidowed women and four children.

He said the last week was equally traumatic and tragic for Kashmiris in IoKand said the bloodthirsty Indian army and paramilitary forces killed14-years young boy, Faizan Ahmad Khan. He said the event was all the moretragic as the hospital doctor who declared Faizan dead happened to beFaizan’s own father.

He said the injured suffered fatal and serious injuries due toindiscriminate brute force including firing of bullets, pellets, PAVA andteargas shells by Indian occupation forces. Over 176 people, includingHurriyat activists and students were arrested last month during house raidsand crackdown operations, the spokesman pointed.

He said Sajad Ahmad Shah and 31-year old Mudasir Ahmad Bhat in Pulwama andKupwara were succumbed to their injuries caused by bullets, pellets andteargas shells.

The Spokesman said to highlight the serious situation in the Indianoccupied Kashmir a briefing for Islamabad-based Heads of Mission was heldon June 27 at Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the recent Report ofthe UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), on the situation ofhuman rights in Kashmir.

He said the Foreign Minister Abdullah Hussain Haroon during the briefing todiplomats regretted that the fundamental human conscience had beensurpassed by our more ‘practical’ interests, when it came to the humanrights violations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is time for the international community to move beyond political andeconomic expediencies and fulfill its promises to the Kashmiri people, asper United Nations Security Council Resolutions,” the spokesman said.

Mohammad Faisal said the UN Report had categorically focused on the Indianatrocities in IoK and explicitly underscored India’s obligation to fulfillits commitment to International Human Rights Law and InternationalHumanitarian Law, as well as, to halt the human sufferings in Indianoccupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The Spokesman said Pakistan has handed over a list of 471 Indian prisoners(53 civilian + 418 fishermen) held in Pakistan to the High Commission ofIndia July 1, as per the provisions of the Consular Access Agreementbetween the two countries.

Pakistan and India, signed the agreement on May 21, 2008, under which bothcountries were required to exchange lists of prisoners in each other’scustody twice a year, on the first of January and July, respectively. TheIndian Government also handed over the list of Pakistani prisoners inIndian, to Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said Pakistan fully supports the efforts of Afghan PresidentAshraf Ghani for talks with the Taliban. He reiterated Pakistan’s desirefor peace in Afghanistan and said the country was playing its due role inthis regard. He said the international community also needs to play itspart in bringing peace to Afghanistan. He said Pakistan seeks a politicalsolution to the situation in Afghanistan.

He said it was not Pakistan’s sole responsibility to bring the Taliban tothe negotiating table and said the entire international community needs toplay its part in this regard. He said Pakistan was supportive of the talksprocess with the Taliban.

He said the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Ambassador Alice Wellshad a constructive visit to Pakistan and was briefed about the arrangementsfor improved border management with Afghanistan and added the United Stateshas appreciated these measures.

The Spokesman said Pakistan strongly condemned the terrorist attack inJalalabad city, killing and injuring many innocent civilians. “We aredistressed and grieved at the loss of precious human lives. Pakistanreiterates its condemnation of terrorism in all its forms andmanifestations.” – APP