Pakistan condemns killing spree in IIOJK

FO says the intesified campaign is a clear manifestation of India using state-terrorism as a policy tool

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the extra-judicial killing of two more Kashmiri youngsters in a staged “cordon-and-search” operation in the Pulwama district of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Sunday.

In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson (FO) said that the martyrdom of nine Kashmiris in the last four days — including two in Anantnag, three in Baramulla district, and four in Pulwama districts of IIOJK — was highly condemnable and part of the unabated brutal campaign of oppression against the Kashmiris.

“More than 609 innocent Kashmiris have so far been martyred by the Indian occupation forces in staged encounters, since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019,” he remarked.

The spokesperson said that the intensified killing spree in IIOJK was a clear manifestation of India using state-terrorism as a policy tool against the Kashmiris.

The Indian occupation forces have stepped up extra-judicial killings of Kashmiris, particularly targeting Kashmiri youngsters, following the malafide conviction and sentencing of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik in a grossly suspicious and contrived case, he added.

He further said that the Indian occupation forces continued to operate with complete impunity under draconian laws such as Public Safety Act (PSA), Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

“Pakistan reiterates its call on the international community to hold India accountable for its gross and systematic violations of human rights in IIOJK,” the spokesperson said. “India must allow an independent investigation by a UN Commission of Inquiry as recommended by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in its 2018 and 2019 Kashmir Reports.”

He also urged the international community to play its role in facilitating a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, for durable peace and stability in South Asia.