FO debunks Indian External Affair Minister’s statement | The Express Tribune

The Foreign Office on Thursday condemned a recent statement by the Indian External Affairs Minister in which he blamed Islamabad for the current state of Pakistan-India relations.

In his statement at a recent think-tank event, Indian External Affairs Minister had blamed Pakistan for the current state of Pakistan-India relations.

“Such statements make it is immediately obvious that the current Indian leadership has limited its conduct of foreign policy to baseless allegations and belligerent rhetoric,” FO Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chadhri said in his weekly press briefing.

“It is the RSS-BJP regime’s dangerous policies of ‘Hindutva’ and ‘Akhand Bharat’ that continue to create problems with nearly all of India’s neighbours,” he stressed adding that India needs to that ‘normal’ relations with its neighbours remain contingent upon India beginning to act normally.

FO reiterated its call to demand India to halt its egregious violations of human rights in Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including their right to self-determination.

“In brazen manifestation of state terrorism, Indian occupation forces, in the past few days, martyred 5 more innocent Kashmiri youth during the so-called “cordon and search” operations and fake encounters in Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama areas of IIOJK,” FO Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in his weekly press briefing.

He said in the month of October alone, 18 unarmed and innocent Kashmiris have been martyred by the Indian occupation troops.

During the same period, over 40 young Kashmiris were severely injured due to unprovoked and indiscriminate use of live ammunition, pellet guns and other military grade weapons, he added.

“These illegal Indian actions are a clear violation of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials,” the spokesperson said adding that the Indian occupation forces also arrested over 60 young Kashmiris on frivolous charges.

Chaudhri informed that Pakistan strongly supported the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry and fact-finding missions for territories under foreign occupations to investigate and preserve evidence for ensuring accountability of the perpetrators of grave human right violations.

“The continued crackdown against minorities, human rights organizations, media, and independent voices in India is a matter of grave concern,” he maintained.

Voices from around the world continue to condemn the gross human rights violations and unprecedented restrictions in IIOJK and India.