KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Member countries of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have condemned ‘atrocities’ in Kashmir and maintained that Kashmiris should be given the right to self-determination.
According to statement by Pakistan Foreign Office, the Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq was addressing the 36th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Union of Organization of Islamic Conference (PUIC) in Ankara on Tuesday.
The meeting’s outcome document — “Ankara Declaration”– strongly reaffirmed the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
Speaking at the forum Sadiq said, “the Indian security forces are attacking unarmed Kashmiris with pellet guns. India was governing valley through a black law.”
The speaker added that India was giving the “legitimate struggle for freedom by Kashmiris the colour of terrorism”.
He reiterated the UN Human Rights Commissioner’s call for sending a Fact Finding mission to Kashmir.
“India had again and again violated the Line of Control, however, Pakistan was fully prepared to respond to any sort of aggression,” he said.
The foreign office said, “a moving documentary and pictorial slide-show were shown during the session, vividly capturing the situation in Kashmir, including the impact of pellet guns against the defenceless Kashmiris, particularly women and children; deaths and injuries caused by live ammunition fire at peaceful protestors; effect of torture; as well as discovery of mass graves.”
Kashmir is witnessing a civilian uprising since July 9 this year during which at least 984 civilians have been killed and over 15000 others were injured in forces action.
The uprising was triggered by the killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani on July 08, 2016 in Bemdoora area o Islamabad district in South Kashmir.
The FO statement added, “the Executive Committee adopted the Ankara Declaration that, inter alia, reaffirmed support for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people, underscoring that the issue of Jammu & Kashmir remained the core dispute between Pakistan and India.”
“The Declaration also called for the just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions that call for a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the UN.”
