‘Time to act is now’: PM urges UNHCHR to form body to probe rights abuses in IOK

Premier Imran Khan welcomes UN rights chief's statement, calls world community's attention to Indian atrocities...

Prime Minister Imran Khan has welcomed the UN rights chief statement on Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), calling upon the United Nations Human Rights Council to immediately constitute an independent investigation commission to probe human rights abuses in the disputed valley.

"I especially welcome the statement by the UNHCHR in Geneva today. I call upon the UN Human Rights Council to immediately set up the indep[endent] Investigation commission to probe human rights abuses in IOJK as recommended by the UNHCHR's two reports on Kashmir," said the premier in a tweet on Monday.

"The time to act is now," he added.

I especially welcome the statement by the UNHCHR in Geneva today. I call upon the UN Human Rights Council to immediately set up the indep Investigation commission to probe human rights abuses in IOJK as recommended by the UNHCHR's two reports on Kashmir. The time to act is now. pic.twitter.com/Xy8hfkDwe2

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 9, 2019

His response comes hours after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged New Delhi to ease the over a month of lockdowns and curfews in the occupied valley while expressing her "serious concerns" over the impact of the Modi-led government's actions against Kashmiris.

As the clampdown in the Himalayan valley has crossed a month, PM Imran welcomed the international community for raising the voice for the people of Kashmir.

“I welcome the growing concern & demands by the int community, global ldrs, UNSG & UNHCHR, for India to lift its 6-week long siege of IOJK,” said the premier in another tweet while calling the world community's attention towards the brutal human rights abuses in the Muslim-majority region by the occupation forces.

I welcome the growing concern & demands by the int community, global ldrs, UNSG & UNHCHR, for India to lift its 6-week long siege of IOJK. The Int community must not remain indifferent to the massive human rights abuses by Occupation Indian forces under cover of a brutal siege

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 9, 2019

In a rushed presidential decree on August 5, the Indian government abrogated the Article 370 of the constitution ending the decades old semi-autonomous status of the disputed region in a bid to convert the Muslim majority of IOK into a minority.