Regional concerns: Khar fends off Afghan criticism on cross-border shelling
Foreign minister urges international community to investigate mass graves in Indian Kashmir.
NEW YORK:
Defending allegations of cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said that “if 200 people cross the [Pak-Afghan] border, and behead 17 soldiers and slaughter them, what do you expect Pakistan to do?”
Speaking to reporters after the OIC Contact Group meeting on Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) at the UN General Assembly, the foreign minister said that she raised the issue of cross-border infiltration and shelling with her Afghan counterpart, Zalmay Rassoul, in their meeting.
“I raised the concern with him that if you give a statement on Pakistan at another forum — ideally, we should not be doing that.”
Khar stated that Pakistan does not resort to any kind of shelling without reason. “This is as distasteful for us as it is for you, but this is in reaction to something that happens,” she said. “We need to go to the root cause of this problem”.
Khar emphasised the need to work on border control and added that Pakistan should not be laden with everyone’s responsibility. “We will take responsibility from our side; they should take responsibility from their side.”
Mass graves
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Khar and All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged the international community to investigate the mass graves in Indian Kashmir.
Khar, Farooq and AJK President Sardar Yaqoob Khan participated in the OIC Contact Group on AJK, which was also attended by OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin hsano lu.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Khar said that the issue of mass graves was the biggest validation of Kashmir’s stance on human rights violations.
“The international community cannot turn away from this issue,” Khar asserted.
Farooq said it was regrettable that the OIC fact-finding mission had not been allowed to go to Kashmir. He added that the OIC should pressurise the government of India to allow the committee to visit Kashmir and investigate the facts.
Emphasising the need for implementing Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) on Kashmir, he urged leaders to repeal “black laws” in Indian Kashmir such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The APHC leader said that while Kashmir supported the dialogue between India and Pakistan, it will not move forward until Kashmir was made part of the progress.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012.
Defending allegations of cross-border shelling by Pakistani forces, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said that “if 200 people cross the [Pak-Afghan] border, and behead 17 soldiers and slaughter them, what do you expect Pakistan to do?”
Speaking to reporters after the OIC Contact Group meeting on Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) at the UN General Assembly, the foreign minister said that she raised the issue of cross-border infiltration and shelling with her Afghan counterpart, Zalmay Rassoul, in their meeting.
“I raised the concern with him that if you give a statement on Pakistan at another forum — ideally, we should not be doing that.”
Khar stated that Pakistan does not resort to any kind of shelling without reason. “This is as distasteful for us as it is for you, but this is in reaction to something that happens,” she said. “We need to go to the root cause of this problem”.
Khar emphasised the need to work on border control and added that Pakistan should not be laden with everyone’s responsibility. “We will take responsibility from our side; they should take responsibility from their side.”
Mass graves
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Khar and All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq urged the international community to investigate the mass graves in Indian Kashmir.
Khar, Farooq and AJK President Sardar Yaqoob Khan participated in the OIC Contact Group on AJK, which was also attended by OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin hsano lu.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Khar said that the issue of mass graves was the biggest validation of Kashmir’s stance on human rights violations.
“The international community cannot turn away from this issue,” Khar asserted.
Farooq said it was regrettable that the OIC fact-finding mission had not been allowed to go to Kashmir. He added that the OIC should pressurise the government of India to allow the committee to visit Kashmir and investigate the facts.
Emphasising the need for implementing Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) on Kashmir, he urged leaders to repeal “black laws” in Indian Kashmir such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
The APHC leader said that while Kashmir supported the dialogue between India and Pakistan, it will not move forward until Kashmir was made part of the progress.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012.