Imran Yaqub
New York
Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States said that India was using the Covid-19 situation to advance its agenda in Kashmir. He participated in a virtual event titled “US-Pakistan Relations And South Asian Peace And Security,” organized by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs; an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight, advances policy solutions and fosters dialogue on critical global issues. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Ivo Daalder, President at Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Ambassador briefed the audience regarding the latest developments in the Covid-19 situation in Pakistan and the measures taken by the Government to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic. Ambassador Khan said that the Government’s imposition of smart lockdown and the efforts to implement the Standard Operating Procedures has resulted in an overall decline in the number of cases and deaths in Pakistan and made it a success story internationally. He highlighted that the strategy of identification of hotspots and then putting them in quarantine was one of the major factors contributing towards this achievement.
The Ambassador added that a stimulus was injected in the economy to mitigate the dampening effects of the pandemic on the economy.
He drew the attention of the audience on the ongoing human rights situation in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJK) and underlined that Kashmir was the flashpoint which threatens the overall peace and security situation in South Asia, because of India’s aggressive behavior.
He added that India was using the Covid-19 situation to advance its agenda in Kashmir through repression and violence.
