NEW YORK: Envoys of several Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries expressed solidarity with the people of Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) at a meeting organised at United National headquarters by Pakistan’s Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi on Monday. Briefing OIC ambassadors on the current state of human rights in Held Kashmir, Ambassador Lodhi said the plight of the long-suffering Kashmiri people had been brought into fresh spotlight by the 14 June report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ziad Raad Al-Hussein. “This is the first ever UN human rights report on the grim situation in the occupied territory and covers the period between June 2016 and April 2018,” she said. She added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres endorsed the report on July 12 saying that the “action” of the High Commissioner represented the voice of the UN on the issue. Lodhi added that while the findings of the report were neither new nor surprising, “they speak of a litany of systematic violations of the fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people.” She highlighted the key aspects of the report, especially the impunity with which human rights were being violated and the lack of access to justice. She also pointed to the report’s mention of special laws in force including the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA), saying they had created “structures that obstruct the normal course of law, impede accountability and jeopardising the right to remedy for victims of human rights violations”. The Pakistani ambassador also noted the report mentioned the excessive force by the Indian forces and their failure to adhere to applicable national and international standards on the use of force. She added one of the most lethal weapons used against innocent protesters was the pellet-firing shot-gun, which had led to the first mass blinding in human history. The Pakistani ambassador further said that after the UN resolution on Kashmir, this report was the first substantial document from the UN that lends support to the Kashmiri cause. The envoy further added the report acknowledged the long-standing demand of Pakistan seeking an independent inquiry into human rights violations in the occupied valley. Lodhi assured the Kashmiri representatives that Pakistan’s mission would continue to project the Kashmir issue at all available forums at the UN. The meeting was attended by ambassadors and the deputy permanent representatives of Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Niger, Turkey, Iran, Algeria, Somalia, Sudan and the representative of the OIC to the UN. Published in Daily Times, July 18th 2018.