Srinagar
The United Nations human rights chief has again sought access in to the territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reiterating his request for “unconditional access” of his office to the troubled regions of India-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the UN rights body chief has warned that the denial of access will eventually lead to “various forms of remote monitoring” by his office and making the reports public.
India, at the peak of 2016 public uprising in Kashmir had denied grant of permission to such a mission. However, Pakistan had opened its gates on the condition that India allows the UN mission to visit J&K.
In a strongly worded statement, he said, “Despite repeated high-level requests to India and Pakistan, permission for my staff to have unconditional access to both sides of the Line of Control in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir has still not been granted,” said Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein.
Al-Hussein is the UN high commissioner for human rights. On Tuesday, he was addressing opening session of a three-week UN Human Rights Council (HRC).
“…and we continue to receive reports of increasing violence, civilian casualties, curfews and website blackout,” the UN high commissioner for human rights added.
