Washington, October 22, 2019 (PPI-OT): The US while expressing concern over the current situation in occupied Kashmir has urged India to respect human rights and restore full communication services in the territory. The concern was expressed by Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Alice G Wells, in a statement submitted to the Congressional Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Non-proliferation of the US Foreign Affairs Committee. Wells said that the Kashmir Valley has not returned to normal and the State Department has raised concerns with the Indian government regarding detentions of residents and political leaders.
Wells briefed the Congressional Subcommittee a day before the hearing on “Human Rights in South Asia” that the US had urged Indian authorities to respect human rights and restore full access to services, including internet and mobile networks. She said while exact figures are difficult to ascertain, the US understands several thousand people have been detained many without charges – under the Public Safety Act – over the past two months.
Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad talking to reporters outside parliament in Kuala Lumpur said that he would not retract his criticism of India’s actions in occupied Kashmir and would not change his mind despite Indian traders calling for an unprecedented boycott of Malaysian palm oil.
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