ISLAMABAD   -    Pakistan yesterday urged In­dia to resolve Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accor­dance with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan will con­tinue to extend political, dip­lomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris.

“The human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) continue unabated,” she said.

According to the reports, she said, a young Kashmiri, Sham­suddin son of Jamaluddin, died at an interrogation cen­ter in Udhampur after he was subjected to torture that he had to endure since his arrest from his house about a month ago. Shamsuddin was neither the first nor the only incident 

of Kashmiri youth who had gone missing and was believed to have been killed in cus­tody or fake encounters, she added.

“We have been raising our concerns about the custodial deaths in IIOJK. Those respon­sible for such inhumane acts and human rights violations must be held to account.

Baloch said the issue of illegal settlements in IIOJK and India’s efforts to change the de­mographic structure of the occupied territo­ry was an illegal act. “We have reiterated this position time and again, including in my last briefing which focused on this particular as­pect,” she added. She said these acts were a violation of international law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention that interdicts the occupation forces to make any material change in the demographic structure of the occupied territory. “Pakistan has consistently raised the issue of Jammu & Kashmir dispute, human rights violations there and the issues of demographic changes at all relevant plat­forms including OIC,” the spokesperson said.

She added: “This has been raised in meet­ings of our leaders and officials with inter­national stakeholders and global leaders.”

Baloch said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhu­tto Zardari had addressed letters to the Sec­retary General of OIC, the Secretary Gener­al of the United Nations, the President of the United Nations Security Council and the President of the United Nations General As­sembly only in this month.

In these letters, he has highlighted the grave violations of human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the illegal and unilateral steps being taken by India since 5th August 2019, she elaborat­ed. The spokesperson further said: “We also are encouraged with the recent statements and resolutions of the OIC including at the Council of Foreign Ministers and Senior offi­cials.” She said Pakistan was pleased with the progress in its engagement with the United States. “There is a positive momentum in this relationship and we believe that with contin­uous engagement and dialogue we can fur­ther strengthen our bilateral relations. In our various meetings and interactions, the two sides continue to discuss all matters of mu­tual interest and concern,” she maintained.

To a question about the supply of defence items by Pakistan to Ukraine, she said such reports were incorrect. “Pakistan main­tains a policy of non-interference in mili­tary conflicts. Pakistan only exports defence stores to other states based on strong End Use and none re-transfer assurances. And this is the case of Pakistan’s position in the Ukraine-Russia conflict,” she contended. About the cipher issue and change of the government, she said: “We believe that, that controversy is in the past, it has been dis­cussed and debated and settled,” Regarding the Pak-US relations, she said Pakistan was encouraged with the positive momentum in the relations with the United States and the engagement that is taking place both here and in Washington DC.