Today is the 284th day of the continued oppression, deliberate acts of terrorizing, inhuman lock down and military siege faced by the innocent people in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan strongly condemns the continuing extra judicial killings by Indian occupation forces in fake encounters and phony cordon and search operations in IOJ&K.
The cold-blooded murder of innocent Kashmiris like Peer Mehrajuddin in Budgam on 13 May is another clear manifestation of the state terrorism to which unarmed Kashmiris have been subjected to for the past seven decades.
In April alone, Indian occupation forces martyred 33 Kashmiris and seriously injured over 150 with complete impunity under draconian laws such as Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
As a testament to the inhumanity of Indian occupation forces, even the mortal remains of the shuhuda are not handed over to their families. When thousands of Kashmiri men, women and children take to the streets to protest against Indian brutalities, pellet guns and live ammunition are used against them resulting in further human loss.
Indian occupation forces’ relentless campaign of brutalization including incarcerations and arbitrary arrests, even during the holy month of Ramadan continue unabated. The repression of journalists to muzzle the voices of Kashmiri people and utter disregard for human rights and humanitarian norms even in the middle of a pandemic is reprehensible.
India must realize that it cannot suppress the will of Kashmiri people and their indigenous movement against the illegal Indian occupation. The rightful struggle of Kashmiri people will continue till the realization of their right to self-determination in accordance with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.
We call upon the international community to take immediate notice of the alarming situation in IOJ&K and hold India accountable for state-terrorism, extra-judicial killings, and gross and systematic violations of human rights. It is a shared responsibility of world community to seek immediate resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC Resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
In its latest report, the Human Rights Watch has noted that hate speech against Muslims, already a serious and growing problem since the election of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015, increased in connection with the spread of COVID-19. The report has also underlined that several physical attacks on Muslims have also occurred, adding that some mainstream media supportive of the BJP have used terms like #CoronaJihad, causing the hashtag to go viral on social media. The situation grew so serious that the WHO issued a statement of caution, noting that it is very important that we do not profile the cases on the basis of racial, religious, and ethnic lines. The Indian authorities at the national and local level have not taken adequate steps to stem the increasingly toxic atmosphere or conduct adequate investigations of attacks where appropriate”.
We have seen reports about the framework agreement by Israel’s coalition government proposing “annexation” of the West Bank with grave concern.
Pakistan is opposed to any move for annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories as it would be a serious violation of International law and a dangerous escalation in an already volatile situation. The West Bank and Jordan valley are Palestinian territories, illegally occupied by Israel since 1967. Pakistan supports the position adopted by the UN and OIC on the issue of Palestine and calls upon the international community to uphold and support the rights of the Palestinians.
We reiterate our consistent support for the two-state solution of the Palestine issue as enshrined in the relevant Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions. Pakistan renews its call for establishment of a viable, independent and contiguous State of Palestine, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters, the pre-1967 borders, and with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its Capital.
We would also like to underscore that the Jammu & Kashmir dispute and Palestinian issue continue to be the longest standing items on the UN and OIC agenda. The attempts being made by the occupying powers in Palestine and Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are essentially similar, particularly with reference to human rights violations, seeking to alter the demographic structure, and posing threat to peace and security. Both these situations are worsening and call for urgent attention of the international community.
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi participated in the Council of Foreign Ministers Video-Conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The CFM was convened by the Russian Federation in its capacity as current chair of SCO. Apart from the prevailing pandemic situation, matters relating to peace and security in the region including Afghanistan came under discussion.
In his remarks, the Foreign Minister underscored that the Covid-19 pandemic posed a challenge of unprecedented scale and magnitude to humanity that necessitated coordinated responses. The Foreign Minister lauded China’s responsible handling of the crisis and its leading role in assisting the international community, as well as extended gratitude for the continued assistance rendered by China to help Pakistan tackle the pandemic. The Foreign Minister also highlighted the socio economic repercussions of this crisis and in this context, highlighted the salience of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s “Global Initiative on Debt Relief” for developing countries as a means to formulate a comprehensive multi-stakeholder plan of action to shore up economies and promote sustainable growth. He emphasized that SCO’s coordinated efforts in this context would be crucial.
In the context of the regional situation, the Foreign Minister hoped that the Afghan leadership would seize the historic opportunity to work out a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement. The SCO, through the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, could play a facilitative role in this regard. The Foreign Minister called for the international community to condemn and hold accountable the perpetrators of State terrorism, including against people under illegal occupation. He also stressed the importance of rejecting xenophobic ideologies including Islamophobia.
Pakistan also condemns the cowardly terrorist attack on a medical facility in Kabul as well as the suicide attack at a funeral in Nangarhar province, which resulted in loss of precious lives. It is horrifying that women and infants be targeted in a hospital, or mourners be killed in a funeral. These terrorist acts are particularly despicable as they take place in the holy month of Ramadan and at a time when Afghanistan is grappling with Covid-19 pandemic. Pakistan stands with the Afghan people in this hour of grief. Underscoring our strong condemnation of these heinous terrorist attacks, we once again reiterate our condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and reassure the Afghan people of our unflinching support for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our Missions across the world, continue to provide overseas Pakistanis with relief and assistance wherever required. Our Embassies and Consulates are working round the clock in facilitating repatriation of our citizens back home, in accordance with a comprehensive repatriation plan devised in consultation with all stakeholders.
In the past few days, 570 Pakistani nationals were brought back from the United States on two special PIA flights. These are the first two of the six special charter flights arranged for our stranded citizens in the United States. We thank the authorities in the US for their cooperation in safe repatriation of our nationals through these special flights. In addition to these, in the past week, 263 nationals returned home safely from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, 120 from Bangladesh, 108 from South Africa and several neighboring African countries including Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, 65 from six European countries (Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Czech Republic).
So far 24,466 have been repatriated from more than 35 countries. Weekly number of nationals returning home has been steadily increased from 2000 to about 7000 per week.