Severe human rights violation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir is a challenge to the conscience of the international community, said Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations. Addressing the 61st session of the Commission on Human rights, ambassador Masood Khan emphasised that Pakistan was engaging India in dialogue to find a lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Khan underlined that Kashmiris had been promised realisation of their right to self-determination by the UN Security Council. The promise must be honoured, he added.
Addressing the Commission under the agenda item concerning human rights violations, he informed the Commission that while India and Pakistan were engaged in the composite dialogue, reports from Indian held Kashmir indicated escalation of human rights violations including killings, rape, torture and disappearances.
Khan stressed that India should take immediate and visible steps to end human rights violations, complete the cycle of troops reduction, free political prisoners and remove restrictions on the travel of Kashmiri political leaders.
He underscored that in this context the international community and the Commission on Human Rights had a responsibility to address human rights issues in a political manner.
INDIA ASKED TO END HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION: Pakistan has urged India to fulfil its pledge for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Pakistani delegate to the 61st session of the commission on human rights, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, while responding to the remarks of the Indian delegation on Kashmir issue, called on India to end gross human rights violation in the occupied valley.
During the discussion on human rights, the Indian delegation in its statement did not make a reference to Kashmir issue.
However, at the end of the session, the Indian delegate exercising his right of reply criticised reference to Kashmir in Pakistan's statement and accused Pakistan of fuelling "cross border terrorism" inside Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Mansoor Ahmad Khan rejected the allegation of "cross border terrorism" and termed it as baseless in the presence of 700,000 Indian military personnel in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.
He added that the real terrorism faced by Kashmiris was the Indian State terrorism through its heavy military presence.
Describing the gross human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir, he stated that according to independent sources since 1969, more than 69,000 Kashmiris had been killed while thousands had disappeared.
He expressed concern that despite ongoing composite dialogue, the Indian security forces had escalated gross and systematic human rights violations in the Indian occupied Kashmir.
Khan urged India to fulfil its pledge for the realisation of self-determination of Kashmiri people in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.
He also called upon India to end gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, remove restrictions on Kashmiri political leaders, reduce its troops in occupied Kashmir and associate Kashmiris in the composite dialogue.