ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has raised the issue of grave human rights violationsby India in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) during the 37th session of UNHuman Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaking at the Human Rights Council, Pakistan’s Deputy PermanentRepresentative Tahir Andrabi called on India to stop killing Kashmiricivilians, end the impunity enjoyed by its security forces and allowunfettered access to UN Fact Finding Team to investigate human rightsviolations in IoK, said a press release issued here from the Foreign Office.

India’s denial of access to the UN Fact Finding Team is a “desperateattempt” to hide its atrocities in “the most militarised zone of theworld”, the representative said.

Terming Indian illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir “root of theproblem”, Pakistan demanded the UN to continue documenting human rightsabuses by India in IoK.

India must end its illegal occupation and resolve the Kashmir despite inaccordance with the wishes of Kashmiri people as laid down in numerousUnited Nations Security Council resolutions, Pakistan said.

Later in response to a statement from India, Pakistan said that Kashmiris’struggle for right to self-determination cannot be subsumed under the labelof terrorism.

India’s illegal occupation, massive human rights abuses, extra-judicialexecutions and economic exploitation of the territory continue to stir theKashmiri freedom movement. Pakistan would continue to give its moral andpolitical support to the oppressed people of the IoK in realisation oftheir inalienable right to self-determination, Pakistan stated.

The topic of the debate at the Human Rights Council was the annual reportof the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, who had regretted India’sdenial of unconditional access in IoK to UN human rights investigators.

The report also noted with concern that discrimination and violencedirected at minorities, particularly Muslims, is on the rise in India. – APP