ISLAMABAD: The plight of the innocent people of Kashmir figured high as the preliminary meetings of the various Standing Committees of the Parliamentary Union of the Islamic Countries (PUIC) commenced their meetings ahead of the 13th Session of the PUIC, which will open in Tehran today (Tuesday).
According to a message received from Tehran, a seven member Parliamentary delegation of the National Assembly, led by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and comprising Mr. Ghulam Mohammad Lali MNA, Ms. Sajida Begum MNA, Mr. Ali Raza Abidi MNA, Secretary National Assembly and officials is representing Pakistan at this important annual gathering of parliamentarians from 56 Muslim countries.
Two key resolutions on Kashmir, pertaining to the gross human rights violations and continued denial of freedoms to Kashmiris by the occupied Indian forces respectively, have been tabled by Pakistan in the PUIC Specialized Standing Committee on Political and International Affairs and the Committee on Human Rights, Women and Family Affairs respectively.
In this, Pakistani delegates drew the attention of the Committee to the recent upsurge of unrest in the Valley, following the brutal killing of Burhan Wani at the hands of Indian occupied forces.
They said Indian barbarities in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir especially since the recent uprising after the extrajudicial killing of Kashmiri youth leader on 8 July 2016 had seen new heights, which had resulted in the killings of more than 200 civilians and injuries to around 20,000 people.
The Pakistan delegation also sought immediate attention of the Parliamentary Union of Islamic countries over the ghastly Indian attempts to bring demographic changes in IOK, converting the Muslim majority of the State into minority by settling non-Muslim non-State subjects such as West Pakistan Refugees and establishing Sainik colonies through attempts at abrogating Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution.
The Resolution on Kashmir was unanimously carried by the Committee and referred to the General Assembly for its approval, which meets today (January 16).
On another note, Pakistan’s delegation also deplored the rise of Xenophobia and Islamophobia and in this regard deplored the recent statement of the US President Donald Trump, calling African and Caribbean nations “Shit-hole States”.
It was on the behest of Pakistan’s delegation that a new paragraph was introduced in the Resolution against Xenophobia, condemning the racist mindset of the US President.
In the Specialized Committee on Human Rights, Women and Family Affairs, delegates from Pakistan apprised the Members of the Committee on the forced disappearances of scores of innocent Kashmiris, the introduction of a new phenomenon of “half Widows” and the blinding of over 400 Kashmiris because of the inhuman use of pallet guns by the Indian forces.
They also apprised the meeting that the use of pellet guns by Indian occupation forces against peaceful protesters had caused severe eye injuries to more than 1,800 civilians with more than 250 civilians becoming permanently blind.
Pakistan delegation further added that with a deliberate intention to dishonour Kashmiri women, the Indian forces had also introduced a new tactic of braid chopping of over 350 Kashmiri women, which had resulted in tremendous aggravation for the Kashmiri people in general and Kashmiri women in particular. This resolution was also unanimously adopted and now awaits final approval of the General Assembly.