Inhuman handling of mortal remains of Geelani: Indian Charge d’Affaires summoned

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, on Friday, lodged a strong protest with India by summoning its Charge d’affaires and conveyed a strong demarche on Indian forces’ callous and inhuman handling of the mortal remains of the iconic Kashmiri leader and freedom fighter Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Foreign Office said in a statement that the Indian charge d’affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conveyed Pakistan’s strong demarche on Indian occupation forces’ callous and inhuman handling of the mortal remains of Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

It stated it was conveyed that the Indian occupation forces’ shameless act of snatching the body of Syed Ali Shah Geelani from his family and disallowing his burial according to his will, was in blatant violation of international humanitarian law and all tenets of civil and human rights.

“Indian occupation forces have repeatedly resorted to indiscriminate use of force against Kashmiris protesting against their inhuman conduct,” it stated.

In the likely event of the situation spiraling out of control and based on India’s irresponsible behaviour in similar situations in the past, it pointed out that there are possibilities of India stage-managing some mischief in the occupied territory to divert world attention and to apportion blame on Pakistan or Kashmiri Hurriyat leadership for its own indefensible actions in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“It was emphasized to the charge d’affaires that India must refrain from any missteps that might further jeopardise regional peace,” it added. It stated that the Indian top diplomat was reminded of Pakistan’s consistent stance that government of India must immediately lift the illegal military siege in the IIOJK, desist from measures to change the demographic structure of the Occupied Territory, withdraw its over 900,000 occupation troops and cease all human rights violations in the IIOJK forthwith. It added that Indian charge d’affaires was conveyed Pakistan’s principled position that lasting and durable peace in the region was contingent on the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021