Pakistan draws world’s attention towards children of IOJ&K

ISLAMABAD, Jun 4 (APP):Pakistan on Thursday drew world’s attention towards the children of Occupied Kashmir who had been living in the midst of a brutal and repressive Indian regime for more than seven decades.
Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui in a weekly briefing that coincided with International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, said children of Occupied Kashmir had been the direct target of Indian violence and aggression as a means to control, silence and punish any dissent from their families and the local communities.
She said abduction and molestation of young boys and girls during mid-night raids and Cordon and Search Operations was the preferred punitive tool of the Indian occupation forces.
She said aggression against children reached an unprecedented height especially after the abrogation of the disputed territory’s special status on 5th August last year.
According to reports of independent voices within India, around 13000 boys were abducted after 5th August 2019, some as young as 14 years old. These children were kept far away from their families in jails of Agra, Delhi and in Tihar.
The psychological trauma resulting from such brutalities committed against these vulnerable children will have long lasting effects on their lives and will compromise the full development of their personalities.
Aisha Farooqui urged the International Community to come forward to protect the vulnerable children of Occupied Kashmir and press upon India to ensure their protection and safeguard their fundamental rights.
Expressing deep concern over unabated extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and
so-called anti-infiltration operations, the FO spokesperson said while the international community was
pre-occupied with fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, India was busy intensifying its brutalization of the Kashmiri people. The RSS-BJP combine stands exposed before the world for its illegal and inhuman actions and its crimes against humanity in Occupied Kashmir.
She said in recent days, the Vice President of the European Parliament, along with 14 Members of European Parliament, had addressed a joint letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell, on the grim human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.
In their letter, the MEPs have raised important points including that Kashmir has become one of the “world’s most militarized zones” and a “tremendously dangerous conflict flash point.”
The MEPs also mentioned the imposition of de facto 9-month military lockdown, a stifling curfew, shutting down of telecommunications and internet, and arrest of political leaders.
Aisha Faroqui said Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed another comprehensive communication to the UN Security Council President and the UN Secretary General, apprising them of the latest situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
She said Pakistan was closely monitoring the situation along the China-India border areas. “We hope that the issue will be resolved in line with agreed understandings and established mechanisms to maintain peace and stability in the region,” she added.
About repatriation of stranded Pakistan from various countries, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said as of yesterday, 51,593 stranded Pakistanis had been brought back to Pakistan from over 65 countries, whereas 92,177 Pakistanis are still awaiting repatriation.
To another question she said till date, 339 Pakistanis abroad have unfortunately passed away due to COVID-19, adding that so far, 424 dead bodies, both COVID and non-COVID, had been repatriated back to Pakistan.
She said 54,536 Pakistanis were currently registered for repatriation in UAE, and 30,572 in Saudi Arabia. Number of Pakistanis who have passed away due to COVID-19 in Gulf countries include 20 in Saudi Arabia, two in Qatar, one in Kuwait and 32 in U.A.E.
About China-India tension, she said that Pakistan was closely monitoring the situation along the
China-India border areas. “We hope that the issue will be resolved in line with agreed understandings and established mechanisms to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. We hope that under the impulse
of BJP’s rightist ideology, peace and security in the region will not be further imperiled.”
To another question about Pak-India tension, she said Pakistan had no desire to escalate the situation, we have reacted with restraint. However, violations of diplomatic norms and India’s continued belligerent attitude is a threat to regional peace and security.
She said India continued its deplorable and jingoistic behavior through unprovoked firing along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary. Pakistan remains ready to defend itself against any misadventure or aggressive action.
The FO Spokesperson said two officials of the Pakistan High Commission in India were abducted by the Indian authorities on false and unsubstantiated charges. Pakistan has strongly rejected the baseless Indian allegations and condemned Indian tactics which are in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as well as norms of diplomatic conduct, she added.