NEW YORK: The Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has reiterated that Pakistan remains committed to finding a just and peaceful solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, which is reflective of the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
In his statement at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir which met on the sidelines of 72th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Asif said Pakistan would continue to extend its steadfast political, moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their indigenous struggle for realization of fundamental rights.
The foreign minister apprised the OIC Contact Group that since 1989 due to the oppression unleashed by the Indian Occupation forces, more than 95,000 Kashmiris had embraced Shahadat (Martyrdom). He said around 10,000 women had been raped, many of them ganged raped, in Indian Occupied Kashmir by the Indian forces. He said during custody, worst forms of torture were being inflicted.
Khawaja Asif said there was absolute lawlessness in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The minister said no human rights organizations were being allowed access to Indian Occupied Kashmir, as India wanted to hide its shameless acts of sheer barbarism against the oppressed Kashmiris.
The meeting was chaired by the Secretary General of the OIC Dr. Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen.
Besides Khawaja Asif, the Deputy Prime Minster of Turkey Recep Akdag, the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov, the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia Abdallah al – Mouallimi, the Director General of International Organizations, Niger Ambassador Boubacau Moussa Rilla, President Azad Jammu & Kashmir Masood Khan, and Ishtiaq Hameed also attended the meeting.
In his remarks, the OIC Secretary General expressed deep concern over the grave situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and called for an immediate cessation of Indian oppression and atrocities and urged the government of India for peaceful settlement of the dispute, in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people and the UN Security Council resolutions.
The OIC Secretary General said that though the Indian occupation forces could physically blind the Kashmiri people by their pellet guns, they could not block their vision for the realization of their right to self-determination.
The members of the OIC Contact Group expressed their complete solidarity with the valiant struggle of the Kashmiri people and urged the UN Security Council to ensure the early implementation of its resolutions. They reaffirmed their resolve to remain the voice of the Kashmiris’ at the international stage.
The conclusions of the meeting were adopted and would be submitted for appropriate action of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC.
