Remarks by H.E. Mr. Sohail Mahmood, Ambassador
of Pakistan, during the panel discussion on Jammu & Kashmir dispute at
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University, Istanbul
27 October 2016
Distinguished Panelists,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
o
I would
like to thank GASAM and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University for organizing
this event.
o
Kashmiris
in the Occupied Jammu & Kashmir as well as across the globe are observing
“Black Day” today to mark that infamous day in 1947, when India forcibly and illegally occupied the State of Jammu
& Kashmir.
o
Jammu & Kashmir is an internationally
recognized disputed territory, and remains one of the longest lasting
situations of foreign occupation along with Palestine.
o
It is one of the oldest unresolved issues on
the agenda of the UN Security Council.
o
The Occupied Jammu & Kashmir also has the
dubious distinction of being the most heavily militarized zones in the world,
with over 700,000 Indian military and para-military troops deployed there.
o
This dispute has been the cause of numerous
conflicts in the region, and continues to jeopardize the prospects for regional
peace, stability and prosperity.
o
The UN Security Council, through its numerous
resolutions, declared that the final disposition of the State of Jammu & Kashmir
would be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the
democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite, conducted under the
auspices of the UN.
o
However, we all know that despite repeated
attempts, no meaningful progress has been made in recent decades towards the
implementation of these resolutions.
o
India has exploited this collective failure by
resorting to state-terrorism to suppress the legitimate aspirations of the
Kashmiri people.
o
Since 1989, more than 94,000 Kashmiris have
been killed by Indian security forces, many under custody.
o
Thousands of mass graves have been discovered.
o
More than 10,000 women have been raped and assaulted
by the occupying military and paramilitary forces.
o
However, they enjoy complete impunity due to
draconian “laws” that prevent any accountability and give sweeping powers to
the security forces.
o
According to Amnesty International, to date,
not a single member of the Indian security forces deployed in Jammu &
Kashmir over the past 25 years has been tried for human rights violations in a
civilian court.
o
The extrajudicial killing of a Kashmiri youth
leader, Burhan Muzaffar Wani, on 8 July 2016, in IOK, triggered the latest
phase of indigenous uprising, seen by many as the beginning of another Kashmiri Intifada.
o
Indian efforts to suppress this latest
indigenous uprising has already resulted in the death of more than 150 innocent
Kashmiri protestors, while over 15,000 have been injured.
o
More than 700 people have suffered severe eye
injuries due to the use of pellet guns.
o
Over 150, including women and children, have
been permanently blinded.
o
India has imposed a total media black-out in
the region, and there is no cable TV, Internet or mobile service functional there.
o
India has also imposed a debilitating curfew
in the region for the past several months that has virtually imprisoned the
Kashmiris to their homes, resulting in critical shortages of food and medical supplies.
o
Doctors and para-medical staff have been
repeatedly attacked and harassed.
o
Kashmiri political leaders have been arrested
or placed under detention.
o
All forms of political expression have been
banned.
o
Despite severe restrictions, the international
media has been able to document the atrocities and violations of fundamental
rights of the Kashmiris.
o
Many independent human rights organizations,
including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as some in
India, have expressed grave concern over the situation, calling for an
independent investigation.
o
The OIC and the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights have demanded an independent inquiry into these atrocities.
o
The United Nations Military Observer Group
(UNMOGIP), constituted by the UN Security Council in 1949, remains deployed in
the region to this day.
o
While Pakistan allows full and unfettered
access to UNMOGIP, India continues to refuse any access to it.
o
In fact, India has been incrementally making
the operational existence of the UN Mission more difficult.
o
To divert international attention from its own
atrocities, and to mislead the world opinion, India has been trying to paint
the legitimate Kashmiri struggle for self-determination as terrorism.
o
This is a travesty, which would neither
undermine the legitimacy of the Kashmiri cause, nor stop the Kashmiris from
seeking justice.
o
In this backdrop, it is essential for the
international community to take urgent action to help stop the grave human
rights violations taking place in IOK, and fulfill its moral responsibility by facilitating
the realization of the inalienable right of the Kashmiris to self-determination.
o
For its part, Pakistan would continue to
extend moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
o
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, while
addressing the UN General Assembly last month, called for an immediate end to
the bloodshed and human rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir, as well as
for a fair, independent and transparent inquiry under the UN auspices to hold
the perpetrators accountable.
o
The Prime Minister also reiterated Pakistan’s
offer to India to enter into a serious and sustained dialogue for the peaceful resolution
of Jammu & Kashmir dispute.
o
This is imperative for durable peace in South
Asia – indeed an essential requisite for its more than 1 billion people to
focus on their socio-economic development and higher standards of living.
o
Before concluding, I also wish to express our profound gratitude
to the leadership, Government and people of Turkey for their consistent and
principled support and solidarity for the Kashmir cause.
o
Turkey is a very important voice – both within the Islamic world
and at the international level.
o
We have no doubt that Turkey would continue to extend all
possible support for the people of Jammu & Kashmir until they get justice and
are able to decide their future, according to their own wishes.
o
This event is another important reflection of Turkey’s abiding
commitment to the just cause of Kashmir.
o
I congratulate and thank everyone who has contributed to the
holding of this panel discussion.
o
Thank you very much and may Allah bless all your efforts. Ameen!
Türk Milletvekili ve Türkiye-Pakistan Parlamenter Dostluk Grubu Başkanı Sayın Muhammet Balta anahtar niteliğindeki konuşmasında İşgal Altındaki Keşmir'de aşırı güç kullanımı yoluyla yapılan baskıdan ve "en uç noktadaki" insan hakları ihlallerinden bahsetti. Hindistan'ın katı duruşu nedeniyle şimdiye kadar uygulanamayan Keşmir anlaşmazlığının BM kararlarına göre barışçıl yoldan çözümü için çağrıda bulundu. Kendisi Keşmir anlaşmazlığının barışçıl şekilde çözümü için Türkiye'nin tüm çabaları desteklemeye devam edeceğini yeniden teyit etti. 
