Minister calls for inquiry into rights violations in IOK

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Tuesday urged the international bodies to constitute an inquiry commission for conducting comprehensive and impartial investigations into human rights violations by occupation forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of day-long Kashmir Cultural Festival organised by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan in collaboration with the Kashmir Cultural Academy, Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Federal Directorate of Education to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day, the minister said the report of the proposed inquiry commission would expose the real face of India before the international community.

The aim of organising the festival was to express solidarity with the Kashmiris through a cultural perspective.

The minister said the recent report of United Nations Human Rights Office on rights violations had exposed the atrocities committed by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir.

Reiterating the government’s stance on Kashmir, he said Pakistan would continue to support the Kashmiris politically, diplomatically, morally and culturally.

He lauded the efforts of Kashmiri students and artists for highlighting the importance of the Kashmir Solidarity Day.

The federal minister maintained that the hearts of Pakistanis beat with the Kashmiris the struggle movement could not be suppressed by oppression. He paid tribute to the Kashmiris who were fighting for their right to self-determination by raising the Pakistani flag.

The minister observed that negotiations with India were bound to fail without taking the issue of Kashmir into consideration. He hailed the management of the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage for organising such an event.

Gandapur said Kashmiris were bound to succeed in their legitimate struggle for freedom.

Condemning Indian atrocities, he observed that the brutalities by the occupational forces were being exposed by the media of occupied Kashmir despite curbs.

Kashmiri songs were played and footages of massive human rights violations and brutality being committed by the Indian forces to suppress the indigenous freedom movement were shown during the event.

Source: The Express Tribune