Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday made a telephone call to Muhammad bin Zayed, crown prince of UAE, to discuss the troubling developments in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK).

The prime minister said the lockdown and the curfew in the valley had entered the fourth week resulting in dire human rights and humanitarian situation. He underlined that India’s ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) have intensified, while there is a serious possibility of false flag operation that India may stage to divert the world’s attention from its crimes in Kashmir.

The prime minister said the people of Kashmir are looking for strong support from the Islamic nations. The people of Pakistan also attach high hopes to the OIC countries, including the UAE, at this critical juncture, he said, and emphasized that it is vitally important for the international community to take urgent steps to get the curfew and other restrictions lifted and to safeguard the lives and rights of the Kashmiri people. The crown prince thanked the prime minister for apprising him of the latest developments. The two leaders agreed to remain closely engaged with a view to taking steps to address the serious situation.

Qureshi briefs Saudi, South Korean counterparts on Indian atrocities in occupied valley

Separately, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi briefed his Saudi Arabian counterpart on India’s unilateral actions in occupied valley, which remains under lockdown since August 5 when the Indian government revoked its special status. In a telephonic conversation with Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf, Qureshi shed light on the ongoing atrocities perpetrated by Indian troops against residents of Kashmir, and said India wants to forcefully change the demographic composition of the Muslim-majority valley.

The foreign minister urged the international community to play its role to stop the human rights violations in Kashmir. He said the world media is continuously bringing to fore the Indian oppression, and human rights organisations around the world have condemned India’s actions and expressed fears of ethnic cleansing of the Kashmiri people.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Qureshi also telephoned his South Korean counterpart to apprise her about the latest situation in the occupied valley. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha voiced her concerns over the human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir, and said her country is keeping a close eye on the developments in the region. She said breach of human rights is a serious issue which needs to be addressed.