Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has written letters to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, urging efforts to end the persistent and egregious violation of the basic human rights of the Kashmiri people and also to implement UN Security Council Resolutions, which provide for self determination of the Kashmiri people through a fair and impartial plebiscite under the aspiration of the UN.

Highlighting human rights abuses by Indian occupation forces, the PM stated that more than 50 deaths and 3,500 injuries had taken place, out of which 400 were critical. Many innocent Kashmiris had lost their eyesight due to pellet guns, which were aimed with the deliberate intention of causing serious permanent injuries. This, the PM said, was unacceptable. The use of illegitimate and excessive force against innocent civilians protesting peacefully over extrajudicial killings was a blatant violation of a range of fundamental rights.

The Prime Minister said that force was being used to prevent access to hospitals, to harass doctors and prevent access to medical facilities. "The situation is a clear manifestation of Indian state terrorism to suppress the Kashmiris struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination". The Prime Minister called for investigation into the brutalities and atrocities committed by Indian occupation forces.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016