ISLAMABAD: A 12-member delegation of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday stressed the need to put an end to state-sponsored atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir and improve the rights situation in the disputed region.
In a briefing held by Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation called for a just resolution of the dispute in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
The foreign secretary briefed the delegation on the deteriorating situation in the held region. He also highlighted the legal, humanitarian, and peace and security dimensions of the dispute.
The visit of the delegation between August 4 to 9 coincides with the completion of two years of Kashmir’s annexation of August 5 which took place in blatant violation of UNSC resolutions.
The delegation will also visit the Line of Control to monitor the on-ground situation, the Foreign Office said.
“During the visit, the IPHRC delegation will travel to Muzaffarabad and the Line of Control, and interact with Kashmiri leadership, refugees from IIOJK and victims of Indian atrocities,” it said in a statement.
The visit is part of the agency’s mandate to monitor the deteriorating humanitarian and rights situation in occupied Kashmir.
“The visit would be significant in drawing international attention towards the urgent need to address the egregious human rights situation in IIOJK and for a peaceful resolution in accordance with the UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people,” the FO said.
The commission was mandated by the 13th Islamic Summit Conference of 2016 and the 42nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers of 2015 to monitor the rights violations in Kashmir and submit regular reports.
The IPHRC, at its 17th regular session held in March this year, regretted the lack of response from New Delhi on a fact-finding visit to Kashmir.
Accordingly, the commission decided to undertake a visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir for an impact assessment.
Consistent with its mandate, the IPHRC has been expressing concern about the human rights situation in occupied Kashmir.
In the aftermath of August 5, 2019, the body held a so-called open session on the situation in Kashmir in November 2019 and expressed serious concern on the Indian move to change the status of the held region.
The IPHRC conducted its first visit to Pakistan and Azad Kashmir in March 2017. It submitted a detailed report on the state of gross rights violations in occupied Kashmir to the 44th Session of OIC-CFM held in July 2017.
