PM slams India for 'descent into fascism'

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that snatching the body of Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani, and then registering cases against his family are "shameful examples of India's descent into fascism".

In a tweet on Sunday, Imran said: "Snatching the body of the 92-year-old Syed Ali Geelani, one of the most respected & principled Kashmiri ldrs, & then registering cases against his family is just another shameful example of India’s descent into fascism under the Nazi-inspired RSS-BJP govt."

The premier's remarks came after the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) police also registered a case against Geelani's family for raising pro-independence slogans. The case was registered at the Budgam police station.

The case has been registered in view of the fact that Geelani's body was wrapped in the green and white flag of Pakistan prior to his burial, as per reports.

Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over 'shameless snatching' of Syed Ali Geelani's body

On Friday, Pakistan summoned Indian charge d’affaires at the Foreign Office (FO) to condemn the "shameless snatching" of Geelani's body from his family and disallowing his burial according to his will.

"The Indian charge d'affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office today and conveyed Pakistan's strong demarche on Indian occupation forces' callous and inhuman handling of the mortal remains of the iconic Kashmiri leader and freedom fighter Syed Ali Shah Geelani," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The FO added that it was conveyed to the envoy that India's actions were "a blatant violation" of international humanitarian laws and "all tenets of civil and human rights."

Geelani, an uncompromising campaigner against Indian rule, died Wednesday at the age of 92 following a long illness, and thousands of police personnel were deployed soon after to try and prevent unrest in the region.

He was buried in a tightly controlled pre-dawn ceremony on Thursday as Indian authorities imposed a lockdown across IIOJK.

Geelani was one of the most outspoken critics of the Indian Occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, having spent several years in jail or under house arrest.

Pakistan's FO in its statement noted that authorities in IIOJK had repeatedly resorted to indiscriminate use of force against Kashmiris, stressing that India "must refrain from any missteps that might further jeopardise regional peace".

Indian envoy was also reminded of Pakistan's stance that New Dehli should lift the "illegal military siege" in IIOJK, stop measures aimed at changing the territory's demography, withdraw its occupation troops and cease all its human rights violations, the FO added.