ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the recent killings of Kashmiris by the Indian army in held Kashmir.

The resolution urged the international community, including human rights organisations, the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to take notice of violation of basic rights and play their role in stopping the violations in Kashmir.

The resolution was moved by Senator Muhashid Hussain Syed on behalf of the members.

The Senate also condemned maiming of boys and girls by the Indian forces in Kashmir.

The house demanded that the UN resolutions be implemented to decide the fate of Kashmir under the supervision of the world body without any delay. Moreover, the government was urged to take up the matter at international forums.

The Senate also offered Fateha for the innocent people of Kashmir who were brutally killed by Indian security forces in the occupied valley.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has written a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, raising the issue of Kashmir.

On behalf of the PPP and the people of Pakistan, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, he wished to draw Mr Ban’s attention to the increasing tempo and scale of human rights violations in Kashmir, particularly since July 8 when the Indian security forces used disproportionate force to indiscriminately kill political activists.

“During the past few days over 50 people have been killed and thousands injured, whose only fault has been to demand their right to self-determination guaranteed to them by the UN over six decades ago. The graphic media reports speak loudly of the atrocities in Kashmir at the hands of Indian security forces,” said Mr Bhutto-Zardari.

“Kashmir is a dangerous flashpoint in the South Asian region. Regardless of which government is in power, the people of Pakistan are committed to providing moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination.

The over 700,000 Indian troops stationed in Kashmir for the past decades have not been able to suppress the yearning of the Kashmiri people to achieve what has long been promised to them by the international community,” he said.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan wanted a non-military resolution of the issue and the UN should play its role to give the right to self-determination to Kashmiri people because it was the only international guarantor of human rights.

EDHI TRIBUTE: The Senate adopted a resolution paying tribute to renowned philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Presented by Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq, the resolution said services of the late Edhi for welfare of the humanity would always be remembered. The house offered Fateha for the departed soul of Edhi.

According to APP, each senator donated Rs 20,000 for purchasing four ambulances which would be handed over to the Edhi Centres in the four provincial capitals in recognition of his services.

The house also condemned the murder of renowned Qawwal Amjad Sabri and urged the federal and Sindh governments and law enforcement agencies to take immediate action to arrest all the culprits involved in the murder.

The resolution was moved by Senator Saeed Ghani of the PPP.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2016