Ankara: Prime Minister’s Special Envoys on Jammu & Kashmir Muhammad Pervez Malik and Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha have concluded a highly successful and productive visit to Turkey, Pakistan ambassy in Ankara stated on Thursday.
During their stay, they apprised the Turkish political and parliamentary leadership, media, members of civil society, academics, think-tanks and youth
representatives of the gross and systematic violations of human rights being perpetrated by the security forces in the Indian Occupied Jammu &
Kashmir (IOK), while effectively projecting Pakistan’s principled stance on the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.
The Special Envoys called on the Chairperson of the Committee on National Defence of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA), Mr. Yusuf Beyazit,
and briefed him about the latest situation in the IOK. Highlighting th ongoing atrocities, the Envoys called for a robust response from the
international community to bring an end to impunity, and the vicious cycle of State-terrorism against the innocent Kashmiri people in IOK.
Chairman Yusuf Beyazit noted that the Kashmir issue had remained unresolved for 70 years, with adverse implications for regional peace and stability. He
stressed the importance of addressing the humanitarian dimensions of the dispute, along with its political aspects. He underscored the need for the
earliest solution of Kashmir dispute in line with relevant UN Security ouncil resolutions.
Separately, the Special Envoys met with the Chairperson of the Turkish Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights Inquiry, Mr. Mustafa Yeneroglu, and
highlighted the scale and severity of the human rights violations being perpetrated by the occupying forces against the innocent Kashmiris.
They expressed the hope that the relevant human rights bodies would continue to call on the Indian government to end the gross violations of human rights
forthwith and conduct an independent inquiry to hold accountable those responsible for these crimes. The Special Envoys, in particular, drew
attention towards the use of pellet guns by the occupation forces, permanently blinding many Kashmiris — primarily young men and women. The
Chairperson reiterated solidarity with the Kashmiri people and assured all possible support in highlighting their plight at all relevant forums.
Continuing their engagements, the Special Envoys met with the Chairman of the Turkey-Pakistan Cultural Association, Burhan Kayatürk, and thanked him
for the resolute and unequivocal support of Turkey on Pakistan’s principled position on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, and for highlighting the grave
human rights situation in IOK. It was agreed to further strengthen on-going Parliamentary contacts between the two sides in this context.
The Special Envoys interacted extensively with the Turkish media and briefed them regarding the latest situation in IOK. The Envoys *inter alia*
underscored that durable peace in South Asia could not be achieved without a just and lasting solution of the Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the
UN Security Council resolutions, and legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
The Special Envoys also held interaction with academics, senior journalists and youth representatives, during which they highlighted that years of
Indian oppression had frustrated the Kashmiri youth to a boiling point, and the extrajudicial killing of the Kashmiri youth leader, Burhan Muzaffar
Wani, on 8 July 2016, had proved to be a watershed in latest indigenous uprising against the illegal occupation. Thousands of Kashmiris,
predominantly the youth, took to the streets in massive protests against the atrocities and continued denial of their inalienable right to
self-determination. They informed that the youth also bore the brunt of the Indian arbitrary use of force against peaceful protestors, with 110
Kashmiris martyred so far and more than 12,000 injured.
