Pakistan asks India to lift military siege, media blackout in IIOJK

(Karachi) Pakistan has asked India to lift military siege and media blackout in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and stop human rights violations of Kashmiri people. It also asked the Indian government to release Kashmiri leaders and youth, and end impunity granted to Indian occupation forces under draconian laws.

A statement issued by Foreign Office on Tuesday stated, "On this day 73 years ago, Indian occupation forces entered Jammu & Kashmir in an attempt to subjugate the Kashmiri people."

It added, "To this day, the brave people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) have remained steadfast in their resolve to defy India and stand firm in their quest for the right to self-determination."

The FO maintained that on August 5, 2019, India took further illegal and unilateral steps to change the internationally recognized disputed status of IIOJK and alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory.

"Pakistan and the Kashmiris have categorically rejected this blatant travesty of law and justice. For over one year, the scale and impunity of the Indian government’s human rights violations have increased manifold," the statement mentioned.

It stated that India deployed additional troops and an unprecedented media and communication blackout, the occupied valley has been turned into the largest open prison in the world. "The world community is calling India out on its tyranny and its façade as one of the world’s so-called largest ‘democracies’ has been undeniably exposed," the foreign office said.

The FO said that Pakistan will not relent in its support until the Kashmiris realize their legitimate right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions. It urged the international community to play its role in putting pressure on India to reverse its illegal course in IIOJK and restore the Kashmiris’ fundamental human rights.