Atrocities in IOK ‘danger to international peace and stability’: British lord

Lord Duncan McNair also backs Kashmiris’ right to self-determination

ISLAMABAD:

Lord Duncan McNair— member of UK House of Lords urged that Kashmiris should be granted the right to decide their future in line with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

He also described the situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) as ‘looming humanitarian crisis and danger to international peace and stability’.

Executive Committee Member of the Council of Human Rights and Religious Freedom Lord Duncan, who is also leading a UK delegation currently, expressed his views in an interaction with media after a meeting with the Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan on Monday.

UK must play leadership role to resolve Kashmir issue: AJK president

While speaking on the occasion, President Masood said that India is finding new political puppets in Occupied Kashmir to endorse its aggressive actions of showing the world that the people of Kashmir stand with India.

"As many as 107 days have passed since India has imposed curfew and laid siege on Occupied Kashmir. During this period, the Indian army has arrested thousands of citizens including Kashmiri leaders.”

“However, under the garb of so-called house searches, the most inhuman treatment is meted out to the youth of Kashmir," he added.

The AJK president further reiterated that India's action of October 31 under which the state was bifurcated—and the whole of disputed territory was turned into an Indian colony—was not only a violation of UN resolutions but in the light of Geneva convention, it is also a war crime.

While calling upon the UNSC to give up its criminal silence, Masood demanded India to stop the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri people.

“It should enhance pressure on India to avert the looming dangers of catastrophic war due to Indian actions, and set up an international commission of inquiry to examine the worst human rights situation in the held territory”, he said.

Being a permanent member of UNSC, he urged UK to play a leadership role in order to end to atrocities against the Kashmiris.

“The political parties of the UK should also make Kashmir issue a part of their electoral campaign”, he added.

Lambasting on the human rights violation in the occupied region, Lord Duncan McNair asserted that the brutalities in the region should cease immediately.

India creating war-like situation at LoC: AJK president

While supporting the quest of Kashmiris, Member of Amnesty International Barrister Rashid Ahmad and member of Pakistan Club UK Raja Shiraz Akhtar Advocate, who are also part of the visiting delegation, affirmed that all conscientious people of the world stand by them.

They observed that the silence of United Nations (UN) over the precarious situation in IOK has sent a clear message to the world that UN has failed to fulfil its global responsibilities.

They also called upon the UNSC to condemn New Delhi for perpetrating brutalities against the Kashmiri people while maintaining that until and unless human rights trampling does not cease, no region of the world is safe.