UN ‘pleased’ with Pakistan’s willingness to allow its inquiry commission to visit AJK

UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (APP)::The United Nations Friday expressed its appreciation for Pakistan’s willingness to the visit of U.N.’s Commission of Inquiry (COI) to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and hoped that all countries would cooperate with the world body’s human rights mechanisms.
“We are always pleased when member states cooperate with the work of the human rights mechanisms and Human Rights Council,” Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said when a reporter asked for reaction to Pakistan’s announced readiness the accept the inquiry commission provided India also allows it to investigate the situation in occupied Kashmir.
The spokesman said the United Nations hoped that all countries would cooperate with the work of U.N.’s human rights bodies.
In Islamabad, a Foreign office spokesman said Pakistan was ready for a commission of inquiry to visit both AJK and Indian held Kashmir. He exhorted India to accept the commission.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had called for setting up of a Commission of Inquiry, the UN’s highest-level probe, to investigate human rights violations in Kashmir.
The call followed the first report on Kashmir by the Office of the High Comm­i­ssioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The report that pointed to impunity for rights abuses and lack of access to justice in India-held Kashmir; and certain administrative, constitutional and legislative issues related to Azad Kashmir, was welcomed by Pakistan, but rejected by India.