ISLAMABAD - The Senate Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to condemn the recent wave of repression and violence by the Indian security forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir but it refused to give credit to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for its role to resolve the issue
The House passed the resolution after discussion on a motion moved by PML-N Senator General (retd) Abdul Qayyum on the violations of human rights in the IOK by the Indian security forces as reported by the United Nations Human Rights Commission in its report issued in June, 2018.
The resolution moved by former Opposition Leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman also appreciated recent condemnation by OIC on killing of Kashmiris by Indian forces but it was redrafted after former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani objected to it. “The Senate takes notice of the statement issued by OIC General Secretariat expressing strong condemnation of the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian forces in IOK and urges the OIC to call upon an emergency meeting on the said violations,” said the original draft of resolution.
“OIC does not deserve appreciation as it has failed to tackle this issue in Muslim countries,” Rabbani objected. “The OIC has turned into ‘Oh I see…’ and the way it is tackling issues confronting the Muslim world shows it has become redundant. I would suggest the recent condemnation of killing of Kashmiris by OIC does not need to be mentioned in the resolution,” he argued.
The resolution condemned the direct shooting at demonstrators in Pulwama region of IOK that claimed lives of a number of innocent Kashmiris and injured many. The resolution was moved with the consent of leader of the house, leader of the opposition and the human rights minister.
“The Senate notes that time, by itself, has only been the most authentic testimony of horrors in IOK and the atrocities perpetrated on the people as the few news items or video-clips appearing now and then on social media tend to divulge only the tip of the iceberg of atrocities being inflicted by Indian forces on Kashmiris since no journalists, human rights and humanitarian organizations, or even tourists are allowed to enter IOK,” said the resolution.
It called upon the international community to end its indifferent and deliberate negligence of systematic repression of Kashmiris by Indian forces through disappearances, human shield, staged encounters, rapes, live ammunition, illegal search and seizure and pellet guns.
The resolution urged the government to implement the earlier resolution of the Senate requiring appointment of special envoys/representatives to raise the Kashmir issue at all international foras and to get appointed a Special Envoy of UN for the Kashmir issue.
The Senate reiterated that “Pakistan will continue its moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people towards the day when they will exercise their recognized right to self-determination under resolution of the UN Security Council.”
Speaking on a motion, Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen M Mazari said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was working on a blueprint for finding a permanent solution to dispute.
“There has been no consistency on our policies on Kashmir and the time has come we go beyond extending moral and diplomatic support to Kashmir…we must stop playing politics on Kashmir issue,” she maintained.
She lauded then step taken by the European Parliament, saying it is very good development as for the first time, the EU parliament is going to make public the human right violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
“We’ve also invited UN human rights commissioner to visit held Kashmir to take notice of the rights violations by the Indian security forces and again this is being done for the first time, which will expose the Indian brutalities on Kashmiris,” she declared.
She said that the Kashmiri diaspora abroad is in deep slumber and remembers Kashmir when the region undergoes into election gear. “No successive governments ever raised the killing of innocent children and rape of women in Kashmir,” she said.
The UNGA has unanimously adopted a resolution moved by Pakistan on Kashmir issue, she said adding it was an important development.
Senator Raza Rabbani came down hard on western world for their double standard about Kashmir said, “It is useless to have hopes from the United Nations that the international body would help in resolving the issue.” He also added that UN had become a tool in the hands of United States. He condemned the role of the west in resolving the issue and said that no western country ever condemned human rights violations in IOK.
Rabbani went on to say that any resolution regarding Muslim world or the third world was always vetoed in UN. He also said that US had maintained a strategic relationship with India as the former wanted the latter to make a policeman in the region. “We will not let India to assume this role,” he said.
PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that in future a US-backed UN was no different than League of Nations as it is doing which suits the US and its cronies, adding the silence of western human rights champions on Kashmir is one example how concerned they are about human rights.
PPP Senator Sherry Rehman also flayed the western world especially the US and the UK, saying the way they are treating Kashmir story is unjust.
Saleem Mandivwalla, Deputy Chairman Senate, who was presiding over the session, said that he had spoken to Chairman NAB that the house should be informed before initiating proceedings against any member of the house.
He asked the NAB to avoid sending abrupt summoning orders to parliamentarians sans issuing a prior notice to the senator concerned. He said NAB did not even bother to inform the Senate chairman about summoning a senator for investigations and complaint verifications.
Mandviwalla said he had already written a letter to the NAB chairman NAB to give reasons for summoning of any senator.