Pakistan has called for an “independent and transparent” inquiry into the extra judicial killings in Indian occupied Kashmir, terming the worsening situation there a grave threat to peace and security.
Pakistan’s Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi conveyed this demand to the UN Secretary-General’s office, a Pakistan Mission statement said, as death toll in the recent violence reached 40.
The latest unrest in Indian-controlled Kashmir stemmed from the killing of a young Kashmiri Burhan Rabbani last week. Kashmiri people and Pakistan describe him as a popular Kashmiri leader while India terms him a militant.
Briefing Under-Secretary-General Edmond Mulet, the Chef de Cabinet of UN chief Ban Ki-moon, on the “atrocious brutality” by Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, Ambassador Lodhi informed him that the “assassination of a popular Kashmiri youth leader, Burhan Wani, had set off widespread protests which were being responded to by heavy-handed tactics of Indian occupation forces.”
Mulet told the Pakistani envoy that the UN Secretary General was concerned about the deteriorating situation in Indian-held Kashmir, and that he was ready to mediate peace talks between India and Pakistan provided the two neighbours accept his good offices, according to the news release.
He also pointed to the fact that the Secretary General had voiced this concern in a public statement.
Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Ministry has dismissed Pakistan’s criticism of recent happenings in Kashmir.
New Delhi has asked Pakistan not to “interfere in our internal matters” and claimed that external parties have no role in it.
At the UN, the Pakistani Envoy called the use of excessive force against civilians exceedingly “deplorable and condemnable”. Indian forces were firing at unarmed protesters under instructions of ‘shoot to kill’ and curfew remained imposed in most parts of Indian Held Kashmir.
Dubbing the Kashmiris agitating for their right to self-determination as “terrorists” was a travesty of truth and was further inflaming passions, Lodhi argued.
Her remark referred to New Delhi’s statement that the Burhan Rabbani was a member of the banned outfit Hibul Mujahideen, and therefore a terrorist.
Ambassador Lodhi also reminded the United Nations of its longstanding commitments to the people of Jammu and Kashmir under several UN Security Council resolutions.
“The international community must call on the Indian government to honour its human rights obligations and its commitments to peacefully resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions,” she added.
Earlier in a General Assembly debate, Ambassador Lodhi made a forceful call for implementation of Security Council resolutions and drawing the attention of the world body to what she called atrocious violations of human rights in occupied Kashmir.
Pakistani leaders have often termed Indian oppression of Kashmir as state terrorism that has denied Kashmiris a UN-mandated right to self-determination for about seven decades. India, on the other hand, alleges Pakistani involvement in terrorism in the region, and has sought to equate Kashmiris’ struggle for their rights with terrorism, particularly exploiting the international environment since 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Responding to Pakistan’s statement, India’s UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin leveled these charges.
“Regrettably, earlier today we have seen an attempt at misuse of this UN platform. The attempt came from Pakistan; a country that covets the territory of others; a country that uses terrorism as state policy towards that misguided end; a country that extols the virtues of terrorists and that provides sanctuary to UN-designated terrorists; and a country that masquerades its efforts as support for human rights and self determination,” he said.
In Washington, the United States expressed “grave concern” over the killing of protesters in Indian-administered Kashmir, saying it is in touch with New Delhi over the issue as well as talking to Islamabad.
“We are very concerned about the deaths of the protesters. I understand it’s over 30 now; that’s of grave concern to us. We continue to be in touch with the government of India. We’ve been in discussions with the government of Pakistan as well,” Elizabeth Trudeau, a State Department spokesperson said.
