ISLAMABAD, Oct 27 (APP): The plight of the children of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) suffering wounds of pellet guns and mental trauma was highlighted here at an event held at Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Tuesday, as a global wake-up call.
The event titled ‘I am THAT Kashmiri child’ gathered ministers, diplomats and Pakistani children here at the lawns of MoFA, who joined in raising a united voice for the rights of Kashmiri children as denied by Indian occupational forces.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Kashmiris must know that even that their voices were muzzled and rights denied, Pakistan would always stand by them.
He said in IIOJK, the humanity died every day where people including men, women and children faced an unending journey of agony.
He said 73 years ago, India landed it forces illegally in Jammu and Kashmir and now again on August 5, it took illegal action of putting Kashmiris under military siege.
“Kashmiris are being subjected to most inhuman behaviour with their political, economic and cultural rights being denied by India,” he said.
Qureshi condemned the demographic structure of the occupied valley being changed by violating the Geneva Convention.
“Imagine living under virtual imprisonment over a year and not knowing the whereabouts of your abducted children, and trauma of children with seeing parents beaten up in front of their eyes,” he said.
He said the Hindutva ideology was making lives of Kashmiris miserable.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said India by landing its occupational forces in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 had denied the basic right of Kashmiris, who wanted to accede with Pakistan.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan at the forum of the United Nations reminded the world that the dispute of Kashmir needed to be resolved as per resolutions of the UN Security Council.
He said the military siege following the illegal act of India on August 5, last year was an alarming situation, needing urgent attention of the international community.
Senator Shibli Faraz said the racist government of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi was targeting minorities particularly the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir.
He assured the Kashmiris that Pakistan would continue to extend them moral, diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris.
Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Affairs Chairman Sheharyar Khan Afridi said Pakistan as a responsible state stood by Kashmiris in their struggle for the right to self-determination.
He said with Kashmir as burning issue, the region could become the flashpoint that needed attention of sane elements.
Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Andaleeb Abbas said every year, the October 27th marked 73 years of Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir, the largest princely state of India in 1947.
She said India approached the United Nations Security Council, which passed several resolutions in favour of plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Kashmir has become a tragedy with men, women and children suffering inhuman behavior just for being Kashmiris,” she said.
The competition encouraged 600 children contestants in three categories including a letter to citizens of world, by Pakistani children to the Kashmiri children and painting exhibition.
A documentary titled ‘Scared, ill or killed’ was screened on the occasion depicting the plight of Kashmiri children facing pellet gun wounds , denial to education and health facilities.
The schoolchildren read out poems and letters expressing solidarity for the Kashmiri children.
Later, Foreign Minister Qureshi gave away prizes among the winners of the art and letter competition.
Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, high commissioners, envoys and a large number of representatives from diplomatic community attended the event.
