Rouhani expresses concern over 'killing of innocent people' in occupied Jammu and Kashmir

Published August 11, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan called Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday to apprise him of the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. — AFP/File
Prime Minister Imran Khan called Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday to apprise him of the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. — AFP/File

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, during a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday, expressed concern over the "atrocities and killing of innocent people in occupied Jammu and Kashmir," a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office said.

The call was made as part of PM Imran's outreach to world leaders with a view to apprise them of the grave situation in the region and to urge them to take action.

During the conversation, the prime minister underlined that India's move to change the status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir — which is internationally recognised as a disputed region — was in violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

He also highlighted the serious threat of "massive killings as part of the crackdown by Indian forces" and called on the international community to play their part and act urgently to prevent "the impending calamity", according to the statement.

Take a look: Kashmir under curfew: Pre-dawn food run then rush home

PM Imran conveyed to President Rouhani Pakistan's willingness to resolve the dispute and how it had made "repeated calls and efforts" urging India to carve out a solution through peaceful means and in accordance with the UNSC resolutions.

"President Hassan Rouhani, while underlining that all possible efforts must be made to keep the regional tensions low, stressed that the Muslims of Kashmir must be able to use their legal rights and interests to be able to live in peace," read the PM Office statement.

It added that the Iranian leader "expressed his concerns over the atrocities and killing of innocent people" in the disputed region.

The prime minister "appreciated Iran's principled stance on the Kashmir issue and Iranian leadership's consistently strong voice in support of the rights and well-being of the people of Kashmir".

It was agreed by both leaders that "no military solution existed" to the long-standing dispute.

PM Imran "stressed that India should be counselled to immediately resolve the issue under the UN resolutions", the statement said.

The two leaders also "expressed satisfaction" that significant progress had been made to further strengthen the relations between Iran and Pakistan, particularly following the prime minister's visit to Tehran in April.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...