ISLAMABAD, Sep 23 (APP):Prime Minister Imran Khan during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday will present Pakistan’s perspective on various regional and international issues including Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Spokesperson Foreign Office Asim Iftikhar said, “Jammu and Kashmir will be one of the key areas of focus, besides the situation in Afghanistan, and other areas of common concern including combating Islamophobia, corruption and illicit financial flows, as well as climate change.”
He told that Foreign Minister in his ongoing interactions with diplomats, in New York also highlighted the gravity of the human rights situation in IIOJK, shared the dossier on Indian human rights violations in IIOJK and underlined the need for urgent steps to bring an end to those violations, the spokesperson added.
He said Pakistan would continue to engage with the interim authorities in Afghanistan.
Special Representatives of China, Russia and Pakistan were in Kabul recently. They highlighted the importance of close coordination to promote the shared objectives of a peaceful, stable, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan, he explained.
“We continue to urge the international community on the imperative of constructive engagement and timely mobilization of humanitarian assistance, on which Pakistan itself has led from the front with additional food supplies sent to Afghanistan in recent days. Let me reiterate that ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan is a shared responsibility of the international community.”
He said the Foreign Minister was briefing his counterparts in New York on the dossier on Jammu and Kashmir, and emphasizing the need for urgent action to address the situation which was deteriorating on ground, “because as we observe, the draconian military siege, extra-judicial killings, torture in custody, enforced disappearances and illegal detentions are continuing in IIOJK.”
“Three Kashmiri youth have been martyred extra-judicially recently. The continuing violence against innocent Kashmiris only shows India’s frustration over its failure to suppress the just struggle of the Kashmiris for their right to self-determination.”
“We have also seen recent Indian media reports insinuating about alleged infiltration from across the LOC. Pakistan categorically rejects these allegations as baseless and unfounded,” he said while responding to a question.
Such allegations were established Indian tactics to create false alarm and implicate Pakistan often before major international events, he added.
“We have alerted and continue to caution the international community on these dangerous Indian tactics, built around false-flag operations and fake encounters, which have also been exposed in the dossier we have recently presented. The Kashmiri freedom movement against Indian occupation and the reign of terror is indigenous. Pakistan deplores India’s flimsy efforts to divert the world attention from its indefensible actions and human rights violations in the IIOJK.”
He said tactics of India could not suppress the will of the Kashmiri people. Pakistan will continue to provide all possible support to the Kashmiri people in their just struggle, he added.
He said ever since BJP’s coming into power, Indian religious minorities in particular, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and others were being specifically targeted and facing discriminatory treatment. “It is a matter of serious concern not only for India’s neighbours but also for the international community.”
Pakistan had been consistently sensitizing the international community and voicing its concerns over the human rights violations in India. “It is encouraging to note that the rising tide of religious bigotry in India is being documented by international human rights organizations, regularly highlighted by the international media, and raised in various forums. The international community must hold India to account and impress upon it to respect the rights of its minorities.”
Asim said Pakistan had been advising the international community that keeping in view the ground realities and the humanitarian situation, the international community should engage with the interim government in Afghanistan in a constructive manner.
“We believe that positive engagement with Afghanistan is important to ensure lasting peace and security in the region and beyond.”
He asserted that Pakistan will continue this process of engagement and mutual consultations to make its contribution towards a peaceful, stable and sovereign Afghanistan.
