Mazari highlights Indian LoC violation, aggression at UN

Says peace, security face perils when international recognized disputes are left to fester

ISLAMABAD: Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari on Wednesday highlighted gross human rights violations by Indian forces in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) while addressing a session of the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva.

The minister referred the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding massive human rights violations in IoK, including the unprovoked Indian aggression across the Line of Control on Wednesday when Indian aircraft had to be shot down for breaching Pakistani airspace.

Mazari asserted that Islamabad will respond and exercise its right to self-defence in accordance with the provisions of international law and UN Charter. She called the recent escalation in tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours ‘a stark reminder that when internationally recognized disputes are left to fester and grave violations of human rights fall on deaf ears, peace and security issues face serious perils’, in a press release issued from Geneva. “The India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir epitomizes this situation most appropriately.”



Mazari also urged the UN Security Council and the Human Rights Council to take cognisance of this breach of international law and threat to international peace and security. She said that as custodians of the third functional pillar of the United Nations, the HRC is vested with both legislative and monitoring responsibilities of international human rights.

Its resolutions on human rights have added to the progressive development of international law but at the end of the day the enduring strength of this development will depend upon our collective will to implement the council's decisions in a non-discriminatory manner, she said. She added that for it to be effective the processes and procedures of the HRC must be transparent and impartial.

The human rights minister stated that as a founding member of the council, Pakistan has played an active role and will continue to do so by supporting and contributing to all its processes.     We are committed to promoting and protecting human rights within our country and internationally, she said.

"My government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan has placed Human Rights as a central pillar of its agenda", she added.

Mazari said despite suffering the scourge of terrorism and regional upheavals, Pakistan today has a stable parliamentary democracy, an independent judiciary, a vibrant civil society and an independent media.