Srinagar
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has expressed deep shock and grief over the killing of thirteen militants and four civilians in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday in an encounter, Pakistan media reported.
“The Pakistan Prime Minister said the brutal crackdown, including the despicable use of pellet guns on civilians who were protesting against the killings, is deplorable,” the report said.
“The prime minister emphasised that Indian attempts to label the legitimate Kashmir struggle as terrorism cannot deter the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir from their demand of exercising their right to self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions,” report added.
Abbasi called on the international community to urge India to allow access to fact-finding missions to occupied Jammu and Kashmir, it said.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Faisal expressing solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir urged the international community to take cognizance of the gross and systematic violations of fundamental human rights in Kashmir. The Spokesperson also called upon the world community to play a rightful role in promoting just and lasting solution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and wishes of Kashmiri people, Pakistan media reported.
“The mindless killing spree exposes the ugly and inhuman face of the Indian state-terrorism against Kashmiris for decades.There are also reports of continuing brutal crackdown, especially the use of pellet guns on protestors and suspension of internet services in an attempt to subjugate and further repress innocent Kashmiris. Pakistan has repeatedly pointed out that the Kashmiri youth is being deliberately and systematically targeted with a view to breaking the will of the Kashmiri people,” it said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took to Twitter to condemn the human rights violations in Kashmir.
” [I] strongly condemn Indian brutalities on Kashmiris. Worst human rights violations on Kashmiris over the decades have exposed the real face of India that claims to be the largest democracy. Real democracies listen to the voices of their people, and protect their fundamental rights,” tweeted Shahbaz.
The chief minister warned of grave implications for peace and stability in the region as a result of the international community’s silence on the ‘gross human rights violations in held Kashmir.’
“Each time [that] India tried to hoodwink the international community by seeking to describe the indigenous freedom movement as externally inspired, the Kashmiris called it [a] and exposed the reality of its designs through the exercise of their democratic right of peaceful protest,” wrote the minister.
