Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Abbasi, in his maiden speech to the United General Assembly in New York on Friday, demanded an international investigation into the alleged atrocities in Kashmir and sending of an inquiry commission to Jammu and Kashmir in order to secure the punishment of those "responsible of human rights violation" and provide justice and relief to victims.
"Pakistan demands an international investigation into India's crimes in occupied Kashmir. We ask that the United Nations Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights send an inquiry Commission to occupied Kashmir to verify the nature and extent of India's human rights violations, secure the punishment of those responsible and provide justice and relief to the victims", the Pakistan Prime Minister said.
"The UN Secretary General should appoint a special envoy on Kashmir. His mandate should flow from the longstanding but unimplemented resolutions of the Security Council," Abbasi added.
However, Abbasi said that Pakistan remains open to resuming a comprehensive dialogue with India to address all outstanding issues, especially Kashmir and discuss measures to maintain peace and security in the region. "This dialogue must be accompanied by an end to India's campaign of subversion and state sponsored terrorism against Pakistan, including from across our western border," Abbasi said.
In his speech, Abbasi mentioned the word "Kashmir" a total of 17 times and "India" 14 times. He added that Pakistan is ready to resume dialogue with India on all issues including Kashmir. Identifying Kashmir as the core issue with its eastern neighbour, Abbasi, who assumed office few months ago, exuded confidence that the resolution will help address the contentious issue.
The Pakistan Prime Minister even accused India of indulging in terror activities against his country and warned of a "matching response" if it "ventures across the LoC (Line of Control)" or acts upon its doctrine of limited war against Pakistan.
He said the legitimate struggle for self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir continues to be "brutally suppressed by India's occupation forces. India refuses to implement the unanimous resolutions of the UN Security Council, which mandate a UN supervised plebiscite to enable the people of Jammu and Kashmir to freely decide their destiny," he added..
"Instead, India has deployed nearly 700,000 troops in occupied Kashmir to suppress the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris to exercise their right to self-determination. This is the most intense foreign military occupation in recent history," Abbasi said as he kicked up the Pakistan's rhetoric against India.
"Shotgun pellets have blinded and maimed thousands of Kashmiris including children. These and other brutalities clearly constitute war crimes and violate the Geneva Conventions," he charged.
