Pakistan welcomes recommendation for a Commission of Inquiry for Human Rights violations in IoK

ISLAMABAD, Jun 20 (APP):Pakistan on Wednesday welcomed recommendations by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights to establish a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into violations by India and called for an investigation into crimes against humanity including excessive use of force, indiscriminate killing of civilians, use of pellet guns, mass graves and sexual violence by India in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan Ambassador Farukh Amil welcomed the recommendation made by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights. He said Pakistan had long sought the UN’s sustained focus on Jammu and Kashmir and the latest report reaffirms Pakistan’s position on the grave human rights abuses by India in occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
The UN Human Rights Council is holding its 38th session in Geneva. Last week, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights had released the Report on Jammu and Kashmir expressing serious concerns on human rights violations in IOK and calling to establish an independent international COI.
He said the Commission of Inquiry was consistent with Pakistan’s several calls to this effect since 2016, even as India has continued to ignore legitimate demands for a credible probe mechanism. He also endorsed the UN’s call for a final political solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute through meaningful dialogue in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He said the UN had a key role to play in the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and within the ambit of peace and security, the UN Security Council remains seized of its numerous resolutions on the lingering dispute. The latest UN report, he pointed was a reminder of this internationally recognized dispute and stressed for urgency of its settlement, both to protect human lives and promote peace.
Ambassador Farukh Amil also condemned the recent assassination of the Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari, Editor-in-Chief of the Rising Kashmir on June 14, 2018.
Characterizing the situation in IOK as deplorable, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also urged the Human Rights Council for an appropriate follow up of the UN Report on Kashmir. It also called for settlement of the dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions. A number of leading human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch welcomed the UN Report on Kashmir and urged India to accept its findings and recommendations.
Later in exercising its right of reply to Indian statement, the representative of Pakistan said Indian atrocities in IOK cannot be subsumed under the label of terrorism. Instead of blaming Pakistan, India should carry out introspection of its human rights violations in IOK and tackle Hindutva extremism and rank communalism in India, which threatens not only Muslims but also Christians, Dalits and Adhevasis.