ISLAMABAD, Sep 13 (APP): Pakistan on Tuesday welcomed a request by the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights for a fact-finding mission to the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) to assess human rights situation.
The Foreign Office, in a statement, said Pakistan welcomed that the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, ZeidRa’ad Al Hussein, had raised the issue of use of excessive force by Indian authorities in Indian Occupied Kashmir. He highlighted the issue in his opening statement to the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“We strongly support the High Commissioner’s position that an OHCHR team should visit Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir to independently investigate the grave human rights violations being perpetrated by Indian occupation forces.”
The excesses by the Indian forces have resulted in the killing of more than 90 civilians and injuries to 8000, including those with severe pellet gun injuries.
“The visit by the OHCHR team would help end the culture of impunity, which is prevailing for more than 68 years in IOK, in violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement said.
Pakistan has expressed its readiness for the visit of any UN team sent by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Azad Jammu and Kashmir together with the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, even though there was no comparison whatsoever between the situation in AJK and the rampant human rights violations and oppression in IOK, the Foreign Office said.
“We note the High Commissioner’s statement that he awaits a formal letter from India for access to IOK. We urge India to respond to this request,” it added.
