Islamabad - Former Interior Minister and Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Rehman Malik has written a letter to Ms. Michelle Bachele, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) against continuing human rights violation and curfew in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) for the last 7 months by Indian Forces.

In a press conference on Saturday, Senator Rehman Malik made public the letter he wrote to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in which, he urged her to accord serious attention to blatant and serious violation of human rights in Indian Held Kashmir, and to constitute a high powered human rights committee to visit the IHK to see and report the situation. 

The letter is reproduced as bellow:

“Continuing human rights violation: Continuing curfew in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) for the last 7 months

I avail the opportunity to refer to your earlier report released on July 8, 2019, that has pointed out the gross human rights abuse by the India’s State Security Forces of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK).

Unfortunately, soon after formal identification of India as a violator of Human Rights in IHK, in an act of gross disregard, intimidated the UN and the world, revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and instantly poured in thousands of State Security Forces troops who imposed an instant Curfew, closed down telecommunications and internet services, and indiscriminately arrested innocent political leaders and activists. Sadly, this conspicuous violation was responded by the eerie silence of the HR bodies. 

Emboldened by the absence of any condemnation by HR bodies, India refused to allow any relaxation to the people of IHK, during the onslaught of the pandemic COVID-19 by rendering these most vulnerable - women and children, people with disabilities, the marginalized, to face the monumental risk of suffering “devastating losses” from the disease.

This tantamount to engineered ethnic cleansing of a whole community, by denying basic rights and protection against the pandemic, in utter disregards to WHO’s instructions and recommendations.  The Indian Army is forcing the Kashmiri people to stay indoors and denying them access to medical support, so critically needed, while these people, including those with vulnerability are being forced to live in most inhuman and unhygienic environment.

It has also been reported that many victims of coronavirus and the poor patient neither can get the treatment nor can they go to see the doctors and their basic right to visit hospital has been usurped.

To add insult to injury, India, in midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic and sudden lock-down in India, imposed an amendment to the “Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment Act)” of 2010, opening way for obtaining domiciles of IHK by the same very State security Forces and other oppressive instruments of the Modi Government, and maliciously changing its demography.

It is recently, that the UN Secretary-General Antönio Guterres, describing pandemic as “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war” appealed for a global ceasefire, since it is crucial to help create corridors for life-saving aid, open windows for diplomacy & bring hope to places among the most vulnerable. Obviously, and certainly, it also includes the locked-down 13-million innocent people of Indian Held Kashmir.

In view of the grave situation, I urge you to accord serious attention to this blatant and serious violation of Human Rights in Indian Held Kashmir, and to constitute a high powered human rights committee to visit the IHK to personally see the situation and report it to your good offices and UN.  I have already offered services of seven elected members of Parliament including myself, to offer all possible assistance for this noble cause.”

CONDEMNATION OF UNPROVOKED INDIAN

FIRING ACROSS LOC

While addressing the press conference Senator Rehman Malik strongly condemned the unprovoked firing by Indian Forces along the LoC and Working Boundary. He said that Indian Forces were continuously targeting civilian population with artillery fire and automatic weapons which was a sheer violation of international human rights and United Nations laws. He said that Indian Prime Minister Narednra Modi was war-mongering at a time, when the whole world was busy in fighting the pandemic.  He noted that the Modi-led Indian government is bent upon intimidating the UN, whose Secretary General Antönio Guterres had while describing the pandemic as “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war” appealed for a global ceasefire, since it wqas crucial to help create corridors for life-saving aid, open windows for diplomacy and bring hope to places among the most vulnerable. He also said that India was behind barbaric attack on Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul as India was not happy over the successful Afghanistan peace process. He said that India was bent upon creating de-stability in the region and sabotaging all efforts towards peace.

SENATOR A. REHMAN MALIK TAKES NOTICE OF STEALING OF PAKISTANI MOBILE

USERS DATA PLACED FOR

SALE ON DARK WEB

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Rehman Malik also took notice of the news in which it has been reported that 115 Million Pakistani Mobile users’ data had been stolen and placed on Dark Web for sale. Reportedly, the stolen data includes users’ details, such as full name, complete address, their mobile numbers as well as their NIC number and Tax Number which he termed as highly shocking and alarming.

Senator A. Rehman Malik directed Secretary Interior to supervise the investigation by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and NADRA into the matter and submit a consolidated report urgently for the perusal of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior. He directed Secretary Information and telecommunication to ensure the report to be submitted to the committee on time.