President Masood urges UN to take steps for Kashmir conflict resolution

Islamabad (Pakistan Point News - 1st Jan, 2019 ) While terming the long-festering Kashmir dispute a serious threat to the peace in South Asia, Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that durable peace in South Asia will not be possible without peaceful resolution of the conflict.

“United Nations must take urgent steps to resolve Kashmir dispute peacefully. The unresolved Kashmir conflict hinders the realization of the goal of durable peace in the region,” AJK President said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Even after over seventy years, the Kashmir issue remains on the active agenda of the UN Security Council and a proves to be a blot on the conscience of humanity, he said, adding that it is the fundamental responsibility of the UN to resolve the Kashmir dispute and halt the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian forces in the territory.

His statement came in the wake of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ New Year message in which he said, “The United Nations resolves to confront threats, defend human dignity and build a better future and create space for solutions in 2019.

” Sardar Masood Khan said, “The UN has a legal, moral and humanitarian commitment towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir to fulfil the promises it made to them.” He termed the ongoing situation in occupied Kashmir as serious and explosive.

President Khan said if the United Nations fails to play its role in the resolution of Kashmir dispute; it will have serious repercussions for the peace in South Asia. The situation in Kashmir right now is very serious and needs urgent attention as human lives are being lost on daily basis,” he said.

“The international community cannot watch as mute spectators as the values and rights it claims to uphold are being trampled upon by an Indian occupation force which has been given the license to kill by the country that boasts to be the world’s largest democracy,” he added.

AJK President also endorsed and welcomed the Human Rights Report 2018 released by Chairman Hurriyat Forum of Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. He said that the report prepared by the human rights division of the forum adequately covers human rights violations committed by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir during the year 2018.

The President said that the year 2018 was the deadliest in a decade with 160 civilians killed, including an eight-month old baby and 30 minors. The report said, 586 people were killed including 267 freedom fighters and 159 Indian forces’ personnel during 2018. The bloody year also saw a minor as a pellet victim and one man in his 60s detained under draconian Public Safety Act.