ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made a telephone call to New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters on Thursday and deliberated with him gross human rights violations in Indian controlled Kashmir and the deteriorating security situation in the region.
The Foreign Minister apprised the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister that India abolished special status of Indian held Kashmir through a unilateral step on August 05 in contravention to the UN Security Council resolutions on the issue.
He said India wants to change demography of Indian Kashmir through repressive tactics.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the unarmed people of Indian held Kashmir have been facing curfew, which has caused shortage of food and medicines there.
He said there is complete blockade of communication means so that the world could not know the facts on ground in Indian Kashmir.
The Foreign Minister said the reports of the foreign media and international human rights organizations are pointing out at an emerging humanitarian crisis.
Expressing concern over the situation in Indian Kashmir, the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister said we are closely observing the situation.
He said New Zealand is also receiving information about Indian held Kashmir from the Kashmiri community in New Zealand, and his country will continue playing its positive role in this regard.
Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that no decision has been taken yet to close the airspace to India, underlining that any such step would be taken after looking into each and every aspect of the move through consultation. Qureshi dismissed as
speculative reports suggesting that the airspace was being shut for India.
Talking to reporters during a visit to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on Wednesday, he said the issue did come up for discussions during the recent federal cabinet meeting but the final decision in this regard would be taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“A decision to this effect will be taken after due consideration and looking into each and every aspect of the move through consultation,” he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Shah Mehmood Qureshi says whole country will hold protest tomorrow against the unilateral steps taken by India in Occupied Kashmir and to express solidarity with their Kashmiri brethren.
He was giving a briefing during a meeting of Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir chaired by Fakhar Imam in Islamabad Thursday.
The Minister said protest will be held each Friday on 12 pm across Pakistan on the suggestion of the parliament. He said two of the three parties on Kashmir have out rightly rejected the unilateral Indian steps in Occupied Kashmir. He said even in India there are clear gulfs on these steps. – NNI