Copenhagen: President Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Ahmed Khan has said that the international community and the civil society of the influential nations around the globe have to be informed of the atrocious human right violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
The President made these remarks during various meetings with Danish Parliamentarians Ms. Zenia Stampe, Rasmus Nordqvist; and Elsebeth Krogh, Director at the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
Masood Khan expressed his concern over the inattention of the international community towards the illegal occupation of Kashmir and the humanitarian crisis due to the ongoing atrocities of the Indian forces.
The President said that the Kashmiri people have been suffering for the past seven decades and have been paying for it with their blood. He said, “The people of Kashmir have been struggling for their right to self determination for which young men are being murdered, maimed, harassed, their women dishonored.” The President said that illegal pellet bullets were being used for dispersing and intimidating the peaceful protestors. “Even children as young as 5 have been victims of pellet gun fire. The use of these pellets guns are illegal and are typically used for hunting purposes.”
President Masood Khan informed the Parliamentarians that the Indian government has been employing delaying tactics and avoiding talks on the issue by dictating their own agenda and time line for talks. These delaying tactics, he said, are meant to scuttle all talks and deny the Kashmiris of their right to self determination through the plebiscite as agreed to upon by the UN Security Council through its resolutions.
The people of Kashmir are fighting for their basic rights and their right for self defence has been labelled as acts of terrorism by the India in order to demonise their freedom struggle.
Zenia Stampe accentuating the Presidents views said that there can be no compromise over human rights violations. Violations of international humanitarian laws can not be ignored she said.
The President said that we need to raise the profile of the Kashmir issue by mobalizing opinion makers in the parliaments of influential nations through communicating and informing them if the mass graves, illegal detentions, pellet gun use and the massacre of innocent civilians taking place in IOK.
“We must at least see beyond the political aspect of this dispute and also shift the attention of the international community towards the humanitarian crisis in IOK”, said Masood Khan. He told them of draconian laws that have been enforced in IOK which have led to the impunity of the Indian occupation forces to the killings openly taking place.
The President said that Pakistan and AJK have always been ready to welcome fact finding teams to Azad Kashmir and Line of Control while on the other hand India has always rejected this proposal.
Ms Stampe, being a member of the foreign affairs committee had pledged her support to creating awareness among the masses and raising the issue in the committee meetings.
Both Pakistan and India being nuclear states need to find a resolution of this matter as this dispute can be a nuclear flash point and endanger world peace and security reiterated the President.
President Masood Khan invited the Danish parliamentarians to visit AJK with various delegations and witness the peace, development and inclusiveness enjoyed by the people in Azad Kashmir. “Unlike IOK, the people of Azad Kashmir enjoy absolute freedom and are contributing citizens of Pakistan”
The President said that our doors are open to Danish investors and tourists willing to visit people AJK.