Kathmandu: The Pakistan Embassy in Kathmandu organized a talk programme on “Recent developments in Jammu Kashmir; human rights dimension”.
The programme was attended by some thirty writers and analysts as well as representatives of human rights organizations.
Participants expressed serious concern on the worsening human rights situation in Kashmir especially on the total media / information blockade, use of pellet guns, torture, arbitrary detentions and continued curfew which had now been more than 52 days.
The Pakistan Ambassador to Nepal Mazhar Javed at the program highlighted the human rights plight in Indian Occupied Kashmir emerging after Indian Government’s decision to revoke Article 370 on August 5/19.
The Ambassador mentioned several recent statements made by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights asking India to lift the curfew and other restrictions.
He also referred to the serious concerns expressed by the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Both had in their repeated statements called upon India to respect the human rights of the Kashmiri people.
Earlier UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights had, in its two reports, asked for establishing a Commission of Inquiry into the human rights violations committed by the Indian security forces.
Several speakers expressed the view that resolution of this long standing dispute was the only way to lasting peace and stability in the region.
The unresolved nature of the dispute had impeded the development and economic uplift of South Asia, now for over seven decades.
The current standoff between India and Pakistan over Jammu Kashmir is being viewed as a biggest threat to the peace and stability, than it was ever before.
The prospect of war between nuclear armed rivals was a particular concern for entire international community.
Unresolved status of Jammu and Kashmir dispute has posed the biggest challenge to peace in South Asia, ever since the two countries came into being in 1947 and the UN passed several resolutions for resolving the dispute in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu Kashmir. The two countries have a history of several armed conflicts on Jammu Kashmir.
International media and the human rights organizations have been particularly vocal against the brutalities in Kashmir, which worsened after August 5 this year.
Participants thanked the Embassy of Pakistan for organizing the event.
(Based on a press note issued by the Pakistan embassy in Nepal dated September 26/19).