ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called upon the international community to come forward to stop ongoing human rights violations in India-held Jammu and Kashmir and save the oppressed people from tyranny of the Indian occupation forces.

He was addressing a joint press conference with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir Yousef Aldobeay on Thursday.

The foreign minister said continuous Indian aggression and barbarism in the occupied valley had inflicted heavy loss on its economy.

He said due to India’s illegal steps of August 5, 2019, the Kashmiris had suffered huge economic loss as it destroyed their tourism as well. Reaffirming Pakistan’s support to Kashmiris’ struggle, he said visit of the OIC’s special envoy would help raise the voice of innocent Kashmiris at world’s major forums.

Qureshi addresses joint press conference with OIC envoy

Condemning India’s illegal steps during the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign minister expressed the hope that the coming OIC foreign ministers meeting in Islamabad would become a source of strength for Kashmiris.

Speaking on the occasion, the OIC special envoy said his visit was aimed at observing humanitarian issues in held Kashmir.

The final report will be presented to the OIC’s foreign ministers meeting to be held in March next year.

Meanwhile, Mr Aldobeay and OIC’s assistant secretary general for humanitarian affairs, Tariq Ali Bakheet, visited Muzaffarabad along with a high-level delegation. Diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Sudan and the Maldives accompanied them.

The delegation visited a refugee camp where they were briefed on measures taken for socio-economic well-being of the inhabitants who escaped from Indian atrocities in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The delegates also visited a vocational training centre and interacted with the refugees. Later, the delegation met the UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan. They were apprised on security monitoring mechanism along LoC. During the visit, the delegation also met the president and the prime minister of Azad Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2021