Pakistan Ambassador to the US, Masood Khan has called upon the United Nations and permanent members of the UN Security Council to take cognizance of the situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and appealed to the UN for appointment of a special envoy on Kashmir.
Masood Khan was speaking during a special event organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC to mark the “Youm-i-Istahesal-e-Kashmir” to highlight serious implications of India’s illegal action of 5th August 2019 in IIOJK for regional peace and stability.
Ambassador Masood Khan in his remarks said for past three years, the people of Kashmir have suffered gross human rights violations, persecution, and incarcerations. “Freedom of expression has been muzzled and journalists are being hounded and imprisoned. All of these actions violate international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions of Kashmir.”
Masood Khan said that absence of any diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan has compounded risks for regional security. This tyranny, the Ambassador said, must come to an end.
He stressed on retraction of all the steps taken by the Indian government on 05 August 2019 and reversal of measures to change demographic composition of IIOJK by settling non-natives outsiders in the disputed territory and engineered delimitation of the electoral constituencies.
Masood Khan also demanded immediate release of Kashmiri political prisoners, including Masarrat Aalam Butt, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi and Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo.
The Ambassador thanked the diaspora community for their constant and abiding support to the cause of the Kashmiris.
The General Secretary of World Kashmir Awareness Forum Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai recalled the warning by Dr Gregory Stanton about possible genocide threat in the territory. He emphasized upon the need for resolution of the dispute under UN Charter and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Ambassador Tauqeer Hussain, Adjunct Professor, George Town University, stressed the need for greater diplomatic efforts to sensitize the international community about the Kashmir dispute. He appreciated the efforts being made by the Embassy to create greater awareness about Kashmir among policy-makers, think-tanks and civil society of the US.—AFP
