Pakistan urges United Nations to send fact finding mission on India-held Kashmir

Pakistan and India traded barbs over Jammu and Kashmir at a United Nations meeting, with Pakistan demanding UN intervention through a fact-finding mission and India repeating its allegations of cross-border terrorism.

During the high-level meeting of UNHCR, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid demanded the council dispatch a fact-finding mission to India-held Kashmir for an investigation of the atrocities committed by occupying forces.

“The Indian claim that the deteriorating human rights situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir was an internal affair was factually incorrect,” he told the meeting.

“The situation in Jammu and Kashmir required the immediate attention of the Council, and a team from the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights should visit the area,” he urged the global community.

He termed the Indian stance on held Kashmir a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

“Atrocities committed by over 700,000 Indian security personnel have turned Jammu and Kashmir into a valley of grief and sorrow,” he said.

Later in the general meeting, Indian Ambassador to the United Nations Ajit Kumar alleged that the reason for disturbances in parts of Jammu and Kashmir was cross-border terrorism carried out by Pakistan.

Pakistan occupying Indian territory: Indian envoy
The Indian envoy alleged that: “Pakistan was illegally occupying Indian territory in Kashmir and was using terrorism against its own people.”

“Pakistan should put its own house in order instead of pointing out alleged human rights violations elsewhere,” Kumar maintained.

The Indian representative also called upon the council to urge Pakistan to fulfill its obligations. In addition, he also condemned the statement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Kashmir and its interference in the matter.

‘India denies rights violations, using pellet ammunition’
The Pakistani envoy responded saying India had continued to deny the barbaric human rights violations committed by its armed forces in occupied Kashmir, “including the use of pellet ammunition” which has blinded hundreds of civilians.

“India had deliberately escalated tensions at the Line of Control, committing more than 300 violations of the ceasefire in 2016 alone,” he added.

The envoy also pointed out that Balochistan was a part of Pakistan, while Jammu and Kashmir was an internationally recognised dispute which has been the subject of many United Nations resolutions.

Source: Dawn