Qureshi seeks urgent steps to stop HR violations in IHK

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has urged international community to take urgent steps to stop human rights violations and crimes against humanity in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In his message on the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the foreign minister stated, "As we commemorate this day, we must remember people under occupation, facing gross human rights violations and being denied fundamental freedoms, including the right to self-determination."

He said, "The people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) continue to face the worst form of brutalization and abuses by Indian occupation forces. Post-5 August, India has applied draconian measures to suppress Kashmiri voices from reaching the international community."

He asserted that it is the obligation of the international community to take urgent steps to stop human rights violations and crimes against humanity in IOJ&K, and urge India to implement all UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir dispute, and fulfill its own obligations related to protection of the rights of women and children.

"On this day, let me reaffirm Pakistan's unwavering diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of Occupied Jammu & Kashmir in their just struggle for human dignity, respect of all fundamental freedoms, and realization of their inalienable right to self-determination," he stated.

He pointed out that more than seven decades have passed since adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), promising a world based on equality and protection of fundamental freedoms of all human beings without discrimination.

Being one of the first signatories of the UDHR, he said, Pakistan joins the international community in celebrating Human Rights Day, and reaffirming its resolve to promote the human rights agenda.

As a responsible state, he said, Pakistan had always supported inter-cultural and inter-religious harmony and mutual understanding. "We believe in constructive engagement and cooperation among all stakeholders to further the cause of human rights," he added.

The foreign minister also paid tribute to the visionary leaders of Pakistan, in particular Begum Shaista Ikramullah, who was one of the three non-Western women who left a strong imprint on the UDHR.

"Our government is fully committed to advancing and safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms of all our people, in accordance with our Constitution and national laws. Mindful of our international and domestic obligations, we will continue to take institutional, legal and administrative steps to ensure the promotion and protection of all human rights," he said.

He said, "We are following a multi-pronged strategy of advancing complementary objectives of sustainable development, human rights and democracy to create an inclusive society for all our citizens without discrimination, as envisioned by the Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah."

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood Tuesday briefed members of the diplomatic corps about the continued human rights violations in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir being committed by Indian government, Foreign Office said.

The briefing was arranged in connection with the International Human Rights Day. The foreign secretary apprised the diplomatic corps of the continued lockdown and restrictions of the means of communication in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

He said Kashmiris who were demanding the right to self-determination as per the UN Security Council resolutions were being subjected with pellet guns while more than 100,000 Kashmiri people including women and children had been killed.