ISLAMABAD: Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), on Sunday called on Austria to leverage its influence within the European Union and the broader international community to address the longstanding Kashmir dispute.
In a meeting with Austrian Ambassador to Pakistan, Andrea Wicke, Chaudhry urged Austria to take an active role in advocating for the resolution of the Kashmir conflict and the cessation of human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
During the discussion, Chaudhry provided Wicke with an overview of the current situation in IIOJK, emphasizing the deteriorating human rights conditions in the region. He stressed that Austria’s diplomatic position, marked by balanced relations with both Pakistan and India, as well as its strong commitment to human rights, places it in a unique position to influence efforts toward a peaceful resolution.
Chaudhry highlighted that the international community’s intervention is critical to ending the ongoing human rights abuses in IIOJK and to facilitate a fair and lasting resolution to the Kashmir issue.
He called on Austria to use its standing in the European Union to advocate for the cause of Kashmiris and to press for international action to halt the violations taking place in the region.
The meeting also covered a range of other mutual interests between Pakistan and Austria, with both sides agreeing on the importance of strengthening bilateral ties. However, the primary focus remained on the Kashmir dispute and the need for greater international attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in IIOJK.
