WASHINGTON: Ambassador Masood Khan has called upon the United Nations and permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P-5) to take cognizance of situation in Jammu & Kashmir. The Ambassador made an appeal to the United Nations to appoint a special envoy on Kashmir.
He was speaking during a special event organized by the Embassy of Pakistan Washington DC to mark 3rd “Youm-i-Istahesal-e-Kashmir” to highlight serious implications of unilateral and illegal action of 05 August in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir for regional peace and stability.
Prof. Dr. Imtiaz Khan from George Washington University in his remarks highlighted the atrocities being committed against innocent Kashmiris including rapes, killings, unjustified incarcerations, demolishing of the houses and localities and restrictions imposed on Muslims with regards to observance of religious ceremonies. He called upon media to play its role in highlighting the issue of Kashmir.
Secretary General, World Kashmir Awareness Forum Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai recalled the warning by Dr. Gregory Stanton about possible genocide threat in Jammu & Kashmir. He emphasized upon the need for resolution of issue under UN Charter and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Ambassador Tauqeer Hussain, Adjunct Professor, George Town University emphasized upon the need for greater diplomatic efforts to sensitize international community about the Kashmir issue. He appreciated the efforts being made by the Embassy to create greater awareness about Kashmir among policy makers, think tanks and civil society of the United States.
Ambassador Masood Khan in his remarks said that for past three years, the people of Kashmir have suffered gross human rights violations, persecution, and incarcerations. “Freedom of expression has been muzzled and journalists are being hounded and imprisoned. All of these actions violate international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions of Kashmir.”
Masood Khan said that absence of any diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan has compounded risks for regional security. This tyranny, the Ambassador said, must come to an end.
He stressed on retraction of all the steps taken by the Indian government on 05 August 2019 and reversal of measures to change demographic composition of the state by settling non-natives outsiders in the disputed territory and engineered delimitation of the electoral constituencies.
The Ambassador thanked diaspora community for their constant and abiding support to the cause of the Kashmiris.
Lord Wajid Khan (through his video message), renowned political analyst and human rights activist Col US Army (Retd) Wesly Martin and former President of Association of Pakistani Physicians in North America Dr. Asif Rehman also spoke on the occasion and shared their thoughts about the implications of Indian action of 05 August 2019 for the region.
The writer is a Washington-based journalist and author. He has been covering international politics and foreign policy for the last 15 years. He can be reached at jahanzaibali1@gmail.com and tweets@JazzyARY.
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