SLAMABAD - Pakistan Thursday said that the Afghanistan accounts should be unfrozen to help the war-torn country.
Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said Pakistan and many other countries have been saying that unfreezing Afghan assets will be an appropriate way of assisting the Afghan people at this point of time.
He urged the international community to generously contribute to help face the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
He said the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan was quite big, which had been realized by the international community as the United Nations and various countries are coming forward to provide the required assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan was part of that the international efforts and it will continue to do to the maximum extent to facilitate Afghan citizens.
He said Pakistan has pledged humanitarian assistance worth five billion rupees. He said Islamabad has also acceded to Afghan people’s request to let the humanitarian assistance offered by India to pass through Wagah border.
Ahmed said in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian occupation forces were committing grave crimes against the Kashmiri people including enforced disappearances, targeted and extra-judicial killings, and collective punishment of the population. Pakistan strongly condemns Indian state-terrorism and extra-judicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters and so-called “cordon and search operations”.
“Thirty-five innocent Kashmiris have been martyred by the Indian occupation forces in less than two months in IIOJK. Three more Kashmiris have been martyred in a fake encounter on 24 November in Srinagar,” he added.
He also said nothing can obfuscate Indian state-terrorism perpetuated with shameless impunity in IIOJK. “Nor could use of brutal force ever succeed in breaking the will of the Kashmiri people struggling for their inalienable right to self-determination,” the spokesperson said.
He said the UN human rights machinery, independent NGOs and global media have consistently expressed concerns over increasing intimidation, harassment and reprisal attacks by Indian occupation forces against Kashmiri human rights defenders, journalists and civil society actors over the last two years.
The detention of Khurram Parvez is the most recent example that has been widely condemned by the international community, he added.
Ahmed said Pakistan called upon the international community to hold India accountable for the egregious human rights violations of the innocent Kashmiri people in IIOJK.
“We also urge the international community to play its role for peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people for durable peace and stability in the region,” the spokesperson said.
Indian occupation forces are committing grave crimes against the Kashmiri people including enforced disappearances, targeted and extra-judicial killings, and collective punishment of the population. No amount of Indian sophistry can obfuscate the Indian state-terrorism perpetuated with shameless impunity in IIOJK, he added.
“Nor could use of brutal force ever succeed in breaking the will of the Kashmiri people struggling for their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant UNSC resolutions,” Ahmed said.
The comprehensive dossier presented by Pakistan in September this year provided incontrovertible evidence of the gross and systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity by Indian occupation forces in IIOJK, he added.
Pakistan calls upon the international community to hold India accountable for the egregious human rights violations of the innocent Kashmiri people in IIOJK.
The deteriorating situation in the occupied territory poses a threat to peace and security in the region. Pakistan also urges the international community to play its role for peaceful and durable resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and wishes of the Kashmiri people, the spokesperson said.
He said a United States Congressional Delegation comprising Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representative, accompanied by Congressman Ami Bera, Chairman of the Asia Subcommittee called on the Foreign Minister.
The Foreign Minister underscored the longstanding bilateral relationship with the United States and the desire to further broaden it, he said.
To a question, he said it was is highly unfortunate and a matter of deep concern to see India continuing with its ill-advised hostile approach that is vitiating the environment in the region.
To another question regarding progress on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the spokesperson said both countries are committed to a clean and green vision of CPEC, which is being translated into reality through projects like Karot Hydropower, which will improve Pakistan’s access to clean, low cost and sustainable energy. He said the CPEC was a game changer for the whole region.