WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, Monday termed India’s repressive actions in Kashmir as crimes against humanity, and called on the international community to save the Kashmiri people.
“The Kashmiris are the most disenfranchised people on the face of the earth; they are victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing,” he said at a special event to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day at the Embassy of Pakistan Washington, DC.
“We feel the pain of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters –their wounds are our wounds,” he said.
Masood Khan said that people of Pakistan have made huge sacrifices in fighting the case of Kashmir since the inception of the country.
“We are not fighting for a piece of a land but we are fighting for the past seven decades because it is a moral responsibility upon us,” he said.
“We are fighting for the inalienable right to self-determination of our Kashmiri brothers that was promised to them by the UN Security Council and by the international community.”
“Kashmir is a powder keg in South Asia that threatens regional peace and stability,” the ambassador added.
“It is the responsibility of international community to save them. I appeal to your conscience. We appeal to your convening power to come to the rescue of the people of illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir.”
The chief guest at the event, Lars Rise, a former Member of Norwegian Parliament, said, “We must stand and protest for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.”
“It is a sad day that even after 77 years we are still talking about lack of this right,” he said.
Rise said that there was denial of basic human rights and communication blockade in Indian occupied Kashmir.
He lamented that Kashmir was a forgotten cause for the international community.
“Let us pool our efforts and resources in order to make the international community listen to the very important voices from Kashmir,” Rise said.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, in a video message, said that the situation in Kashmir coincided with the Israeli killings in Gaza. He said that India has been exposed as a state sponsor of cross border terrorism, and its transformation into a Hindutva state.
He lauded the courage and resilience of Kashmiri men and women for being steadfast in their indigenous, spontaneous and widespread struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination.
Mowahid Hussain Syed, Attorney at Law, underscored the need for ‘empowered mindset’ at international level that could assess what needs to be done regarding the issue of Kashmir.
Afzal Khan, Member UK Parliament, in his recorded message, observed that international community especially the great powers including UK, have a moral responsibility to help addressing the issue of Jammu & Kashmir.
Ilyas Masih, representing Pak-American Christian Community called on the participants to raise awareness about the plight of Kashmiris, especially among the youth.
Dr. Asma Shakir Khawaja, Executive Director of Center for International Strategic Studies, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, said that Kashmiris have been suffering subjugation for past 76 years, buit they remain determined.
The Secretary-General of Kashmir Civitas, Dr. Farhan Mujahid Chak, called for the need to remain committed to raising awareness about Indian atrocities against Kashmiri people.
The Advisor to AJK President, Sardar Zareef Khan, said that expressing solidarity with Kashmiris boosts the spirit of Kashmiris to struggle for their legitimate cause. He thanked the Government and the people of Pakistan for keeping the issue of Kashmir alive.
The Chairman of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, Altaf Wani, highlighted the need for exposing the Indian government by presenting realities before the international community.
Dr. Imtiaz Hussain, Professor at George Washington University, highlighted the harrowing crimes of the Indian forces against innocent women and children of Kashmir. India, he said, was making demographic changes in the occupied territory and was trying to reduce Muslim majority into minority.
India was also destroying the environment of the region and the “paradise of Kashmir has been transformed into a living prison for the Kashmiris,” Dr.Imtiaz said.
Ms. Victoria Schofield, renowned author and historian on Kashmir, in her audio message, stated that it pained her to see that the issue of Kashmir remained unresolved.
