The foreign minister updated the committee on the steps taken and those under considerations following the Modi government's illegal actions of August 5 by revoking the special status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Qureshi said that the recently held joint session of the Parliament has recommended to the government to take up the issue of Kashmir in the ICJ, adding that consultations were made on the proposal and services of legal experts of the international reputation are being hired so that an effective line of action can be made after taking their input. He said that Pakistan, being a party to Kashmir, has rejected India's illegal actions and the Kashmiri people who are also an important party to the dispute rejected the steps. He further said that India which is the third party to the dispute is divided and 14 petitions filed in the Indian Supreme Court have been accepted for hearing.
He said that the UN Human Rights Commission has released two reports on the worst human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The minister said that he will be leaving for Geneva next month to attend the meeting of the UN Human Rights Council while Special Envoy Tehmina Janjua is already in Geneva for the purpose to highlight the Indian human rights abuses in the IOK.
The foreign minister further said that around 50 MPs of the British parliament have written a letter to UN secretary-general highlighting the human rights violations in the IOK.
He said that although there have been ups and downs in Pakistan-US relations, yet the US Congressional Pakistan Caucus Foundation has been reactivated which will meet soon on the issue of Kashmir. He said that the government will send its envoys to the caucus to update the US lawmakers on the situation in Kashmir.
Qureshi also updated the committee on the ongoing diplomatic outreach to the important countries to sensitise the world community on the Indian atrocities in the occupied valley.
He said that on the Prime Minister's call, the whole nation will observe Kashmir Hour on Friday (today) to express solidarity with the oppressed people of IOK. He said that the Kashmir Solidarity Hour will commence from 12:00pm to 12:30pm, in which sirens will sound all across the country and national anthem of Pakistan followed by national anthem of Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be played.