World will see India’s reign of terror

Pakistan to launch diplomatic offensive at international forums

ISLAMABAD : Condemning the Indian army’s recent crackdown in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), Pakistan’s civil and military leadership on Wednesday decided to launch a diplomatic offensive at the international level against India for its brutal use of force against innocent Kashmiris.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) – the highest decision making forum on issues of national security and foreign policy – in the wake of Indian security forces clashes with protesters and alleged militants on Sunday in IOK’s Shopian district.



At least 20 people, including 13 suspected militants, were killed in gun battles in the worst incident of violence in the region this year. Indian security forces also wounded about 70 people when hundreds of protestors tried to prevent them from carrying out operations against suspected militants.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi presided over the NSC meeting attended by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Adviser to PM Miftah Ismail, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan.

Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua and senior civil and military officials were also present at the moot, according to an official handout issued by the Prime Minister Office.

The committee condemned the recent ‘reign of terror’ unleashed by the Indian security forces which “resulted in the shahadat of twenty innocent civilians and lethal injuries to hundreds of innocent men, women and children”.



“The continued inhuman and incessant use of pellet guns against innocent protestors and funeral processions by occupation force has once again resulted in injuries to hundreds of Kashmiris and blinding of scores of Kashmiris,” the statement said.

The NSC praised the extraordinary courage and resilience of Kashmiri people in the face of Indian brutalities and gross and systematic violations of their human rights. It observed that purely indigenous character of this uprising has once again belied the false propaganda by the Indian government.

The committee reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to political, diplomatic and moral support of the people of IOK in their just and legitimate struggle for their right to self-determination, promised to them by the unanimous resolutions of the UN Security Council.

The committee decided to raise the issue of unprecedented Indian brutalities at both bilateral and multilateral forums. It also reviewed the broader regional situation and expressed satisfaction over the role that Pakistan continues to play for peace and stability.