ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government on Tuesday decided to take the issue of human rights abuses in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).“An in-principle decision has been taken to take the issue of disputed Kashmir to the International Court of Justice,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi confirmed while talking to a private news channel.He said the decision of approaching the world court was taken after considering all legal aspects, adding that additional information about the matter would be issued by the law ministry.The decision comes after Pakistan’s diplomatic win at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which discussed Kashmir for the first time in 50 years, nullifying India’s claim that the Kashmir issue was its internal matter.Tensions have been heightened between Pakistan and India after New Delhi on August 5 scrapped Article 370 in the Indian Constitution that had granted Kashmir special autonomy. It split occupied Jammu and Kashmir in two and downgraded their status to union territories.Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan confirmed that the cabinet had in-principle given go-ahead to take the issue to international forums as there was no let up in human rights violations by the Indian forces in the occupied valley which had been under curfew for over two weeks.Briefing the media about federal cabinet meeting here on Tuesday, she said Prime Minister Imran Khan told the cabinet about his telephonic conversation with United States President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister, she said, apprised the US president about the curfew imposed in the IHK for the last 16 days and the brutalities by the Indian forces inflicted on the Kashmiris.Khan also informed President Trump that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was going to carry out genocide and ethnic cleansing in the occupied territory, after its complete lockdown and suppressing human rights of Kashmiris, she added.US President Trump spoke with the prime ministers of India and Pakistan on Monday, urging them to reduce tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir. “Spoke to my two good friends, Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi of India, and Prime Minister (Imran) Khan of Pakistan, regarding Trade, Strategic Partnerships and, most importantly, for India and Pakistan to work towards reducing tensions in Kashmir,” Trump tweeted.“A tough situation, but good conversations!” the president wrote.Dr Awan said the media should be given access to the held valley so that the world could know about the situation on the ground. Modi was acting like Hitler and the media should highlight the oppression and atrocities being perpetrated by his forces in occupied territory, she added.The real face of India, she said, should be exposed before the world through the media, especially social media. The Pakistani media was already highlighting the issue and it needed to further apprise the world of Indian brutalities on innocent Kashmiris, she stressed.The Prime Minister’s aide said Azad Kashmir was the gateway for Pakistan. It was the first line of defence for Pakistan as stated by the Prime Minister, she added.She appreciated the role of overseas Pakistanis in highlighting Kashmir cause. She said as the member of the United Nations Security Council, India tried to stop its meeting on Kashmir and the United States did not come to its support, which showed the latter’s sensitivity towards the issue. Britain had also made strong remarks about the situation in Kashmir, she added.Prime Minister Khan would address the UN General Assembly session on September 27, while Modi would speak on September 26.
08-21-2019, 06:50 AM
Pakistan to move ICJ over rights abuses in Kashmir
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