‘Pakistan effectively highlighting Ram temple issue at global forums’
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, has strongly condemned the recent inauguration of ‘Ram Temple’ on the demolished Babri Mosque’s site and expressed commitment for effectively highlighting the gross rights violations by India in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and temple issue at every global forum.
According to Kashmir Media Service, talking to a private news channel, today (Friday), Munir Akram said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries were supporting the efforts for preserving universally recognized and regionally important sacred sites. He said that meetings with high level UN representatives were also being conducted to highlight the issue.
The ambassador said that Pakistan urged the top official for the UN Alliance of Civilizations to play their active role for the protection of Islamic sites in India. The OIC Ambassadors had also acknowledged the importance of the issue, he said, adding, we are writing letters to seek urgent intervention for the protection of religious sites in India. He said, we are also demanding an action plan over the protection of religious sites. Indian friendly countries also needed to mobilize more diplomatic efforts to control Hindutva-like policies in India, he added.
Munir Akram maintained that the UN officials were encouraging Pakistan’ efforts for raising the Kashmir cause at world forums, adding, the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination had been acknowledged. He regretted that for the past few years, the people of Kashmir had suffered massive human rights violations, persecution, and incarcerations. He said freedom of expression had been muzzled and journalists were being hounded and imprisoned in occupied Kashmir. All of these actions violated international law and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions of Kashmir, he added.
The ambassador said that the Kashmir dispute should be resolved properly through peaceful means, in accordance with the UN Charter, the relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. It was important for the international community to speak about these human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, because its silence would only embolden India to continue its policy of violating human rights, he said. Pakistan therefore continued calling on the international community to take practical steps and hold India accountable for its gross and widespread human rights violations in IIOJK, he added.
