Daily Times

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has urged international humanitarian organisations to seek access to the besieged Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) for an on-the-spot study of the situation and report to the world community and the United Nations of the human rights violations of Kashmiri people whose sufferings have been compounded by the absence of phone and internet services as well as shortage of medical supplies.

Addressing a press conference after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s meetings with the heads of the London-based Amnesty International and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he said such visits to conflict zones are part of their mandate and that they should insist that India allows their personnel to see the situation for themselves and undertake relief work in the occupied territory, now under six weeks of lockdown. Otherwise, the foreign minister said, they should tell the world of the obstacles they are facing from India in undertaking their mandated humanitarian work.

Qureshi said it is also one of the mandated functions of the ICRC to visit the prisoners in jails and report on their conditions. “The ICRC must carry out its mandate,” the foreign minister said. On its part, he said, Pakistan will allow the Amnesty International and the ICRC to visit Azad Kashmir and move around freely to make an assessment of the situation there. “We have nothing to hide,” he said.

Qureshi said thousands of Pakistanis, Kashmiris, Sikhs, human rights activists and participants from other Muslim countries converged outside the stadium in Houston where the Indian prime minister along with US President Donald Trump was addressing a gathering, condemning his illegal and unilateral steps in Kashmir.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan as an ambassador for the Kashmir cause will attend the UN General Assembly session and apprise the world body about the ongoing Indian atrocities and Narendra Modi’s unjustified and illegal steps which violated the UN resolutions and the international laws. The prime minister, he said, will also apprise the United States president that the picture painted by Indian Prime Minister Modi over the IHK was not true because the situation had not been returning to normalcy rather it had become very critical.

Qureshi said there is no military solution to the Afghan issue, which can only be resolved through politically negotiated settlement. Pakistan will urge all sides to resume the dialogue process soon as further delay can create difficulties in securing peace in the war weary country and increase prospects for violence, he said, adding that the Afghans, Afghan government representatives and Taliban should sit and find out a negotiated solution. He said Pakistan has played its role which was acknowledged by Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad during his meeting with the prime minister. To a query, Qureshi replied that a huge number of people had submitted applications for holding a peaceful demonstration outside the UN building during Modi’s address and according to the reports, they have been given the permission.

Separately, Qureshi said the non-resolution of Kashmir dispute poses serious threat to peace and security of South Asia and that there can be no peace in the region as long as the dispute remained unresolved.

The foreign minister, in a meeting with President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Crisis Group (ICG) Robert Malley, who called on him here on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly session, expressed deep concern at the prevailing grave human rights and humanitarian situation in the occupied valley. He underscored the need for international community to step in to fulfill its moral and political responsibility towards the Kashmiris. He added that the Indian political leadership is resorting to jingoistic and irresponsible statements that can escalate tensions in the region.

Foreign Minister Qureshi also held a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif at United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday. Matters pertaining to peace and security in the region were discussed in the meeting, Radio Pakistan reported.

Speaking on the occasion, the foreign minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan will soon meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Both foreign ministers agreed to continue consultations on changing situation of the region.