HR violations in IHK

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said that "one of the main purposes of my visit is to spotlight the real Pakistan with all its possibilities and potential." He admired Pakistan's decades-old hospitality for Afghan refugees, its contribution to UN peacekeeping missions, the threat of climate change Pakistan faces, and offered mediation on Kashmir. For effective de-escalation of tension between Pakistan and India over India-held Kashmir, he said: "We have taken position about the need for Security Council resolutions to be implemented." And no less importantly, the United Nations top official also drew the world attention to human rights violations in IHK, and on his part offered to mediate: "I have offered my good offices in relation to the situation and our position is that the Security Council resolutions be implemented." Whatsoever be the Security Council members' individual positions on Kashmir problem, the Secretary General has put his finger on the Kashmir problem that is as crucial to international peace as it is to inviolability of human rights of 8 million incarcerated Kashmiris. However, he did say that the good offices only work when accepted by both, but emphasized that "diplomacy and dialogue remain the only tools that guarantee peace and stability with solutions in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and resolutions of the Security Council". Given that perspective of someone who heads the world's highest peacemaking and peacekeeping forum, the international community must sit up and revisit its lethargic mindset on anti-human, repressive reign of terror let loose in Occupied Kashmir. How ironic it is that the world's conscience remains silent while millions of people face punishing incarceration. It is, therefore, heartening to note that Secretary General Guterres is "deeply concerned" about the plight of Kashmiris.

Secretary-General Guterres was yesterday in Kartarpur where he visited the holy Sikh temple Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. A day ago, he was in Islamabad in recognition of Pakistan's "tremendous hospitality" in hosting the Afghan refugees from Afghanistan for over four decades. Nearly half of them have gone back to Afghanistan. The Afghan refugees in Pakistan are treated as guests, unlike some of the richest countries who would prefer the refugees from Africa to drown in the Mediterranean instead of reaching their shores. In the United States too, the Statue of Liberty no more shows her lamp to the "wretched refuse" from across the Mexico border. In Pakistan, there is also no Far Right set about ridding the country of the forsaken fleeing violence and persecution. Of the Afghan refugees about 68 percent have been integrated with local population, while the rest are lodged in refugee camps. In addition to Afghan refugees, Pakistan hosts two million Bengali, Behari, Rohingya, African, Arab and Iranian refugees who were expatriated shelterless and need shelter. Now that peace is expected to return to Afghanistan it is Islamabad's hope that Afghans who sought refuge in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion in 1979 will return to their homeland. And for that to expedite international community should ensure their safe journey back home and speedy rehabilitation. It should also keep an eye on India where implementation of controversial Citizenship Amendment Act is bound to trigger exodus of Biblical proportions. No wonder millions of 'stateless' Muslims and Christians will be Pakistan's new guests. Addressing the conference on Pakistan's hospitality of Afghan refugees for 40 years, Guterres wanted the world to "recognise that international support has been minimal compared to Pakistan's own national efforts". Now that their return is expected Pakistan wants a roadmap, fully endorsed and backed by the international community.