July 11, 2016
News
Sartaj says Pakistan firm on its stance on Kashmir’s independence
ISLAMABAD: Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said on Monday that the Indian atrocities in India-held Jammu Kashmir are condemnable and deplorable.
Talking to private news channel, he said that such acts were violation of fundamental human rights of the Kashmiris and cannot deter the people of Jammu Kashmir from their demand for the right to self-determination.
Sartaj said that it has been shown by the Kashmiris that they only demand freedom and liberty whereas India is continuously spreading chaos in the region. He clarified that Pakistan is firm on its stance regarding Kashmir’s independence as no other solution is effective in this regard.
The adviser also pledged to raise voice against Indian brutality in Kashmir at international forum. On Friday, the protests followed the killing of Burhan Wani, a 22-year-old Kashmiri activist, during a gun battle with the government forces.
Zardari condemns killing
In a statement, former president Asif Ali Zardari has also condemned the killing of innocent people in the state and the arrest of several Kashmiri leaders and has also called upon the international community to take serious notice of the grave human rights violations in Kashmir.
He said that he was shocked at how the security forces in Kashmir resorted to the use of indiscriminate force to punish the people who were exercising their legitimate right to protest the killing of one of the leaders of the demonstrators. This is arrogance in the extreme and is reprehensible, he said.
The latest surge in the protests in different parts of the state should persuade the Indian authorities to look inwardly and ask themselves as to why the Kashmiris are up in arms against the New Delhi rule, he said. Unfortunately, this is a question which few, if any, in India would be prepared to ask and fewer still prepared to listen an honest answer to it, he said.
Resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of its people is the only viable way forward, the former president said. The world must wake up to the murder of human rights in the state. It would be a great tragedy if the world looked the other way as innocent people were being killed and tortured in Kashmir, he said.
The death toll reached 23 by Monday as Indian forces killed the Kashmiri civilians protesting the martyrdom of their leader Wani in the state.
Terming India's state sponsored terrorism in Kashmir as extremely unfortunate, the political and defence analysts called upon the international community for taking immediate notice of the killing of innocent people. "The world needs to realize India's gross atrocities in Kashmir and denying the justified right to self- determination of Kashmiris," defence analyst Talat Masood said.
Talat also said that the incident was condemnable and that India should politically engage with the Hurriyet leaders instead of pursuing aggressive tactics. He said that Pakistan should continue to highlight Indian violations of the fundamental human rights of Kashmiris at the international forums including the United Nations with much greater resolve.
He said that the world community's conscience needed to be shaken over the killings and the detention of innocent Kashmiris.
In his comments on the current situation in Indian-held Kashmir, political analyst Rasool Baksh Raees regretted the silence of international community over the human rights violations. He said that the human rights organisations in India should take notice of the plight of the Kashmiris who were genuinely demanding their right to self-determination.
He said that Pakistan should voice its concern over the situation in Kashmir through effective diplomacy and also highlight the need for the fulfillment of UN Security Council's resolutions on Kashmir issue.
When asked to comment on that pushing for Kashmir issue to remain on the agenda by Pakistan could hamper the talks process with India, Raees said "Raising voice against brutalities should never be stopped in view of maintaining bilateral relations with India.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk