British Parliamentary Group to Release Report on Human Rights Violations in Kashmir
Pakistan has said that the so-called Governor’s rule in Occupied Kashmir is one of the ploys adopted by New Delhi from time to time to further suppress the will of the Kashmiri people.
Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK testified Tuesday at the UK Parliament on human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
Chris Leslie MP, Chairperson All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Kashmir chaired the meeting. The testimony was made before the APPG on Kashmir that met to take stock of the recent unrest in IOK.
#Pakistan has said that the so-called Governor’s rule in Occupied Kashmir is one of the ploys adopted by New Delhi from time to time to further suppress the will of the #Kashmiri people. pic.twitter.com/qjHc9Ea1vE
— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) June 21, 2018
Lords MPs, members of civil society, and representatives of human rights organizations were present during the Oral Evidence Session.
[ UN Human Rights Chief Demands Access to Kashmir. Petition to NHRC ]
Pakistan has raised the Kashmir issue in the UK Parliament just a few days after the release of UN Human Rights report on Kashmir, which has demanded an unconditional access to Kashmir to record the extent of human rights violations in the troubled state.
While presenting a global update on human rights concerns at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council on Monday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein reiterated his calls for access to Kashmir.
In his testimony, the High Commissioner forcefully raised the issue of gross human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and urged the international community to take note of these atrocities and raise its voice for the voiceless people of Kashmir.
[ Rahul Gandhi Says Kashmir Problem Will Continue Under President’s Rule ]
The High Commissioner termed the situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), a human catastrophe beyond description. He said Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory as recognized by the United Nations and the international community.
The testimony, along with other findings, will form the basis of a written report on the human rights violations in IOK to be published by the APPG on Kashmir in the next few months.
This will be the first such report produced by any British Parliamentary Group. It is intended to form an authoritative, balanced and comprehensive account of the current situation in Kashmir and to provide a valuable resource for the parliamentarians in Britain and elsewhere.
[ Losing Sight in Kashmir: The Impact of Pellet-Firing Shotguns ]
Chris Leslie MP, Chairperson APPG on Kashmir expressed his desire to complete the report as soon as possible. He appreciated Pakistan High Commission London’s cooperation in preparing the report.
According to an official statement from Pakistan, MPs and Lords present on the occasion expressed serious concerns over the human rights abuses committed by the Indian security forces in the IOK.
Dr Ijaz Hussain, an academic, also gave a briefing to the attendees on the salient features of the recently released UN Human Rights Report on Kashmir.
Photo courtesy: Amnesty
