UNGA 2017: Pakistan PM Abbasi accuses India of human rights violations in Kashmir, asks UN to appoint special envoy

Pakistan on Thursday accused India of human rights violations in Kashmir and demanded a UN inquiry of the matter. 

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly demanded that 'India must be punished for crimes against humanity in Occupied Kashmir'. 

"Pakistan demands an international investigation into India's crimes in Occupied Kashmir," Pak PM said at UNGA in his official address. 

He added, "We ask that the United Nation Secratory General and High Commissioner for Human Rights send an enquiry commission into Occupied Kashmir to verify the extent of India's human rights violations, secure the punishment of those responsible and provide justice and relief to the victims."

Earlier in the day, India reiterated its stand on Pak-sponsored terrorism and called on all nations to choke the lifeline of terrorism through funding and training. 

Read | Sushma Swaraj’s veiled attack on Pak: 'Countries using terrorism as an instrument of state policy'

Abbasi urged the United Nations to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir, as he claimed that the struggle of the people in the region is being “brutally suppressed” by India.

He 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.

“The Kashmir dispute should be resolved justly, peacefully and expeditiously. As India is unwilling to resume the peace process with Pakistan, we call on the Security Council to fulfil its obligation to secure the implementation of its own resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

He said despite over 600 ceasefire violations on the India-Pakistan border since January this year, Pakistan has acted with restraint.

“But if India does venture across the LoC, or acts upon its doctrine of limited war against Pakistan, it will evoke a strong and matching response,” he said in his speech in which he raised his anti-India rhetoric.

Abbasi, who assumed office few months ago, mentioned Kashmir a total of 17 times and India 14 times among other things in his speech.

Read | India calls Pakistan 'face of international terrorism' at UNHCR

He also said that from day one of its creation, Pakistan has faced unremitting hostility from its eastern neighbour (India).

“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 said.

“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.

However, he stated 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. 

India is expected to soon take up the podium to respond to Abbasi’s remarks on Kashmir.

(With Inputs from PTI)