Islamabad
Speaking at a solemn event held at Embassy of Pakistan Tunis today, Ambassador of Pakistan Mr. Muhammad Hassan stated that India was imitating Israeli policies and practices in occupied Palestine in orderto consolidate its illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was attended by a large number of Pakistani expatriates and their families, Tunisian nationals and the representatives of media and think tanks. Head of Chancery Mr. Shafiq Ahmad read over the message of the President and the Prime Minister on the occasion.
In his address, the Ambassador stated that the Kashmir Black day assumed more significant this year as India after its unilateral action to revoke article 35A and 270 of its own constitution on 5 August 2019 had locked down the entire valley.
Since 5 August, thousands of Kashmiri people, including political leaders, professionals and activists have been arrested and many have been transferred to jails in New Delhi and other parts of India.
Reportedly, young boys were being abducted from their homes by Indian security forces and subjected to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. There is a real danger that human rights violations will be further intensified as Kashmiris protest against the Indian Government’s unilateral measures intended to alter Jammu &Kashmir’s demography, identity and disputed status, said the Ambassador.
Drawing a parallel between Kashmir and Palestine, the Ambassador stated that many of India’s policies and practices towards Kashmir were imitations of existing Israeli practices in Palestine.
The variety of tactics used by India to control the civilian population of Kashmir strongly resembles those used by Israel in Palestine. Those included, “arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, curfews, collective punishment, administrative detention, torture, rape and sexual abuse, the suppression of freedom of speech and assembly, house demolitions, and so forth.
The response of international community towards Kashmir issue have also been disappointing as it is in the case of the Palestine issue, the Ambassador stated. A documentary on Indian atrocities in Kashmir was screened to the audience.—INP
