Pakistan initiates soft offensive to check Indian violence in held Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan launched diplomatic efforts on Tuesday to highlight the hapless situation of the people of Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) and took the ambassadors of permanent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members into confidence to exert soft pressure on India.

Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, in a briefing with the ambassadors of China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States, expressed Pakistan’s serious concern over the recent wave of violence against Kashmiri people and the continued violation of their fundamental human rights by the Indian security forces.

“Due to the excessive use of force against civilians protesting the killing of Burhan Wani, more than 30 innocent people have lost their lives and more than 350 have been injured so far,” Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria quoted the foreign secretary in a briefing with the envoys.

“India should conduct a fair and transparent inquiry against the individuals responsible for these killings,” he said.

The foreign secretary urged the international community — particularly UNSC’s permanent members — to take notice of the gravity of the situation in Indian-held Kashmir and called on India to respect the human rights of Kashmiris.

Rejecting India’s notion that deteriorating human rights situation in Indian-held Kashmir is an internal affair, he stressed on India to implement UNSC’s resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

“The killings of innocent Kashmiri people could not be condoned under the pretext of terrorism,” he added.

“The just struggle of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination cannot be equated with terrorism,” said the foreign secretary.

He added that “inhumane and oppressive measures cannot deter the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir from their demand of exercising their right to self-determination in accordance with the UNSC resolutions”.

The Hizbul Mujahideen chief of operations was killed by the government security forces in Indian-held Kashmir on Friday. Pakistan on Sunday condemning the ‘extra judicial’ killing of Wani had termed the situation “deplorable and condemnable”.