Pakistan Asks U.S. to Protect Human Rights in Kashmir
The Kashmir situation further deteriorated today as an 11-year-old boy succumbed to head injuries Friday night after he was hit by pellet guns of Indian security forces.
By Rakesh Raman
Two special envoys of Pakistan’s Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Nawaz Sharif today urged Obama administration to respond to the present situation in Kashmir, which is a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
Senator Mushahid Hussain and Dr. Shezra Mansab on Saturday emphasized that United States should intervene in line with its rich political and ideological ethos and respect for human rights and national freedoms.
Hussain and Mansab are visiting the United States as Sharif’s special envoys to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people who, according to them, are facing the worst kind of suppression and brutalities at the hands of Indian forces.
[ Also Read: How India Is Losing the Diplomatic Battle on Kashmir ]
Last month, Kashmiris living in the United States had questioned President Obama’s position on the territorial dispute in Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
The Kashmir situation further deteriorated today as an 11-year-old boy, Junaid Ahmad, succumbed to head injuries Friday night after he was hit by pellet guns of Indian security forces.
Kashmir has been facing a series of violent incidents since the killing of a 22-year-old rebel leader Burhan Wani by the Indian security forces on July 8 in an encounter which many believe was avoidable.
Nearly 100 people have died and thousands injured in the conflicts between the supporters of Burhan Wani and the Indian security forces in Kashmir.
[ Is it a Struggle for Freedom or Terrorism in Kashmir? ]
During their meeting with President Obama’s Special Assistant, Dr. Peter Lavoy at White House in Washington DC, it is stated that Pakistan envoys Hussain and Mansab shared documentary evidence of “India’s massive human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir and reign of terror India has unleashed on people of Kashmir.”
According to Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the envoys drew attention to hundreds of Kashmiri men, women and children who have been killed over the past two months.
They also told the U.S. official that more than 150 civilians had been blinded by use of lethal pellet guns and more than 12,000 men, women and children were seriously injured because of indiscriminate firing by oppressive Indian forces.
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Pakistan special envoys emphasized that turning a blind eye by international community particularly the U.S. on India’s jingoistic and hegemonic policies in the region risked great danger.
They stressed that Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was the core issue and without its resolution there could never be a lasting peace in the region. They also demanded implementation of UNSC (UN Security Council) resolutions on Kashmir that called for a right to free and fair plebiscite to ascertain the will of the Kashmiris on the pattern of East Timor.
The envoys categorically rejected Indian allegations against Pakistan of supporting terrorism and highlighted that it was not humanly possible to breach fence that India had erected throughout Line of Control (LoC), a border between India and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, NATO has expressed its satisfaction over Pakistan’s struggle to stop terrorism. General Peter Pavel, Chairman Military Committee NATO, said Thursday that Pakistan is an important and traditional partner of NATO and the scale of counter terrorism campaign by Pakistan is quite large with impressive results in this regard.
According to Pakistan envoys, India has indulged in state terrorism against Kashmiris and is simultaneously trying to divert international attention from gross humanitarian and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir by falsely blaming Pakistan for Uri attack, in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed last month.
Although the U.S. had condemned the attack on Indian soldiers, it has failed to take any specific stand on the lingering Kashmir issue.
The Pakistan envoys noted that the whole nation (Pakistan) was united on its diplomatic, moral and political support for Kashmir issue.
