ISLAMABAD - Pakistan yesterday said the illegal curfew in held Kashmir was a burden on world’s conscience.Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the international community must act in support of the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of Kashmiris.

In a message on the Right to Self-determination Day for people of Jammu and Kashmir, Qureshi urged India to allow the UN Fact Finding Mission to held Kashmir to ascertain the reports of grave human rights violations there.  “Each additional second on the curfew clock is a burden on the world’s collective conscience,” he said.

He added: “Kashmiris around the world are observing the 71st anniversary of the United Nations’ commitment that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute would be decided through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices.”

The FM said through this resolution, the United Nations has affirmed its support for the realization of the inalienable right to self-determination of Kashmiris – a right from which all other fundamental freedoms and basic human rights flow.

Qureshi urges UN to resolve Kashmir issue

“Regrettably, this right has not yet been realized because of unabated repression and state terrorism by India in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. For over seven decades, human dignity of Kashmiris is being violated on a daily basis in Kashmir,” he said.

The United Nations, especially the Security Council, he said, bear the responsibility to ensure fulfilment of the promise of granting the right to self-determination to the Kashmiris.  “India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019 are aimed at altering the disputed status of held Kashmir and bringing about demographic change to undermine the right to self-determination of Kashmiris have been widely rejected. India’s unrestrained oppression has reached unprecedented levels with the inhuman lockdown now in place for over 150 days,” Qureshi said.

India, he said, must allow United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan an unhindered access to carry out its duties.

“If India has nothing to hide, it must allow international media and civil society to visit and report on the human rights situation in held Kashmir,” the FM said.

Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support to the valiant Kashmiri people in their just struggle for human dignity and their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. Tension between Pakistan and India escalated after New Delhi illegally revoked occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5.

Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue but India claimed the removal of special status of Kashmir under Article 370 was its ‘internal matter.’ India committed ceasefire violations more than 3000 times in 2019 and around 300 people were targeted in these violations. FM Qureshi earlier said there seemed a well thought-out plan of India to destroy peace in the region.

He said India had suppressed the freedom struggle through communication blackout. “However, despite its desire India could not hide the protests taking place across the country because the Indian government cannot impose curfew in entire country,” he contended.