OIC-IPHRC calls for immediate end worsening HR situation in IOJ&K

ISLAMABAD, Nov 29 (APP):Pakistan Friday welcomed the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC)’s first-ever open discussion on Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) that called for an immediate end the worsening human rights situation in the Valley.

“Pakistan welcomes the principled stance of the OIC IPHRC in support of self-determination of Kashmiris and call for end of the ongoing human rights violations in IOJ&K,” the Foreign Office said.

The foreign office said, “The first-ever open session reflected the growing concern of the Muslim Ummah, OIC and IPHRC on the rapidly deteriorating situation in IOJ&K”.

The session as part of the 16th regular session was held on November 25 to 28 under IPHRC’s ‘Standing Mechanism to Monitor Human Rights Situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir’ and was attended by the commission members and representatives of the OIC member and observer countries.

The IPHRC strongly condemned the blatant violation of human rights in IOJ&K, pointing out “credible reports of inflicting collective punishment.”

“The systematic and systemic human rights violations have a well-defined pattern tantamount to ethnic cleansing and genocide of Kashmiris,” the commission said.

The commission affirmed the right to self-determination to the people of IOJ&K under the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, terming India’s illegal steps of August 5, as “illegal and void”.

It condemned the continued use of pellet guns that killed and maimed innocent and unarmed civilians, use of arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings, as well as targeting of Kashmiri Muslims including peaceful protesters, under fabricated charges.

The IPHRC endorsed the recommendation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a commission of inquiry under the UN auspices to comprehensively investigate all the allegations of human rights violations.

The commission members agreed to undertake a visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir to meet refugees, political parties and other civil society representatives from IOJ&K, after India’s repeated denial of allowing a fact-finding mission in the occupied Valley.

It was agreed upon to conduct an independent case study on the use of pellet guns in IOJ&K by the Indian security forces against peaceful protesters including women and children.

The commission demanded of India an immediate lifting of curfew, restoring fundamental freedom of Kashmiris, repealing discriminatory laws like Armed Forces Special Power Act, providing an access to the fact-finding missions of the UN, OIC and OIC-IPHRC and implement, without further delay, relevant UN resolutions to allow people of Kashmir to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination through a free and fair plebiscite.

The commission urged the United Nations (UN) and the international community to play their due role to pressurize India to take early and concrete steps in this regard.