Pakistan has intensified diplomatic offensive to sensitise the world powers, especially European countries, on India's illegal and unilateral actions with special focus on continued repression of the Kashmir people by Indian forces. According to Spokes-person Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Wednesday held telephonic conversations with his counterpart from Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Sweden and Norway - to brief them on the latest situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and sought their role to impress upon India to lift the curfew and ameliorate the hardships of the people in Indian-held Kashmir.
In his conversation with Foreign Minister of Denmark Jeppe Sebastian Kofod, Foreign Minister Qureshi sensitised his Danish counterpart on India's illegal and unilateral actions to change the disputed status of IOK and its demographic structure. He apprised the Danish foreign minister of the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation, including severe shortages of basic necessities of life such as food and medicines, and complete communications blackout.
Qureshi added that Pakistan has always committed to resolving issues through peaceful means and Pakistan's peace overtures and offers of dialogue had been rebuffed by India. The foreign minister urged Denmark to play its role and impress upon India to lift the curfew and ameliorate the hardships and suffering of the people in IOK. The spokesperson said that Foreign Minister Kofod stated that Denmark is following the situation with grave concern and added that Denmark fully supports the statements of the UN secretary general and the EU high representative on the issue of Kashmir.
Foreign Minister Kofod urged both India and Pakistan to enter a dialogue and desist from any action that can further escalate the situation. He underlined that any further deterioration in the situation can have devastating consequences. The two leaders agreed to continue to work together for peace and stability in the region. Foreign Minister Qureshi also held a telephonic conversation with Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide and briefed her on the unilateral steps taken by the Indian government in order to consolidate its illegal occupation of the held region.
He added that the measures taken by India are against the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Jammu and Kashmir and International Law.
Foreign Minister Qureshi apprised the Norwegian foreign minister of the grave human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian-held Kashmir, including severe shortage of basic necessities of life such as food and medicines.
He added that the entire population of Indian-held Kashmir has been under siege due to complete lockdown and curfew since August 05, 2019. The foreign minister urged Norway to play its role and impress upon India to ease the suffering of the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Foreign Minister Soreide stated that Norway is concerned about the situation in Kashmir and added that they would urge both India and Pakistan to deescalate the situation and ease tension. She underscored that it is important for both the countries to engage in dialogue to find a durable solution to the issue. Both the foreign ministers also discussed the situation in Afghanistan. The Norwegian foreign minister appreciated Pakistan's positive role in the efforts to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch and continue to work together for peace and stability in the region.
Qureshi also spoke with his Swedish counterpart Margot Wallstrom over the telephone and discussed with her the current situation in IOK. The foreign minister briefed his Swedish counterpart on the illegal and unilateral actions taken by India to alter the disputed status of IOK. He emphasised that these steps by India are violation of the UNSC resolutions on the occupied valley and International Law.
The foreign minister highlighted the severe hardships faced by the people of IOK due to complete lockdown and communications blackout for the past 17 days. He added that due to the brutal steps taken by the Indian government the people of IOK are facing shortage of basic human necessities such as food and medicines. The foreign minister stated that India is committing serious human rights violations in IOK, which need to be stopped immediately. The foreign minister expressed hope that Sweden would play its role and impress upon India to alleviate the sufferings of the people in IOK.
Foreign Minister Wallstrom stated that Sweden is closely following the developments in Kashmir and underlined the importance of bilateral dialogue and negotiations to resolve the issue. The Swedish foreign minister stressed that population of Kashmir must be included in the decisions about their future. She added that there have been worrisome reports of human rights violations in Kashmir, which must be investigated. The two leaders agreed to remain in contact and continue to work together for peace and stability in the region.
Comments
Comments are closed.