Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister on Jammu & Kashmir and Chairman Standing Committee of National Assembly on Foreign Affairs met Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva, and briefed him about the ongoing critical human rights situation in IOK (Indian occupied Kashmir), underscoring that the matter was of great concern to all Pakistanis.
With reference to Prime Minister’s letters addressed to the UN Secretary General and the High Commissioner, the Special Envoy asked the Human Rights High Commissioner to take concrete measures to immediately end violence in IoK. These actions include:
- Immediate investigation of the atrocities committed by Indian occupation forces against peaceful Kashmiri protestors.
- A fair, transparent and independent inquiry into the martyrdom of Burhan Muzaffar Wani and to help bring to justice those responsible for it;
- Assure the right of self determination and freedom to the Kashmiri people and end India’s oppressive measures against the Kashmiri people;
- Demand India to fulfill it human rights commitments under the UNSC resolutions and international human rights obligations;
- End immediately the use of pellet guns or other lethal substitutes against innocent Kashmiris and also end human rights abuses including mass killings, forced disappearances, illegal detentions, torture, rapes and sexual molestation;
- Abrogate immediately the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other draconian laws.
- Withdraw the forces from IOK that have unleashed a terror on Kashmiris.
High Commissioner Zeid thanked the Special Envoy for his visit to Geneva and for briefing him on the grave human rights situation in IoK. He assured the Special Envoy that his Office was carefully observing the situation in the area and was in contact with both India and Pakistan in this regard.
