'Hold Pakistan accountable for human rights abuses': India urges global community after PoK violence
New Delhi: India on Tuesday came down hard on Islamabad for its "brutality" against people in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and called on the international community to hold that country accountable for its "abuses".
India's reaction came as over 20 people were reportedly killed in police action on protesters in several parts of PoK.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, slamming Pakistan said, there have been "desperate" attempts by Islamabad to cover-up its "failings" and deflect attention away from its alleged human rights abuses.
"We continue to see in this context, a pattern of fake news and videos emanating from Pakistan. It is a desperate attempt by Pakistan to cover-up its own failings and deflect attention away from its human rights abuses," he said.
"There are reports of severe police brutality in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in which several protestors have been killed and many injured. We hope the international community will hold Pakistan accountable for its misdeeds and abuses," Jaiswal added.
He was responding to a question at a media briefing.
Protests in front of Pakistan consulate in UK
Kashmiri protesters on May 9 staged a demonstration in front of the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford, the UK, over the firing on mourners at a funeral in PoK.
This came days after 30 British MPs sought diplomatic intervention over the massive human rights abuses in PoK.
The clampdown in PoK came amid a planned protest rally by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for subsidised flour and electricity. The unrest in PoK was reportedly triggered by demands for basic rights, economic relief, affordable electricity, and greater accountability from the authorities.
The JAAC was outlawed on Friday by authorities, citing concerns over public order and security.
Protesters on Tuesday gathered outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford and accused the Pakistani authorities of using excessive force against civilians participating in demonstrations across PoK.
Organisers, many of them from the Kashmiri diaspora, claimed that several civilians were killed and injured during the firing by Pakistani security forces, particularly in Rawalakot, where protests have intensified since June 5.
This came even as nearly 30 British MPs led by Bradford East MP Imran Hussain, a parliamentarian with roots in PoK, urged the UK government to intervene diplomatically amid reports of arrests, communication blackouts, and escalating tensions in the region.
The parliamentarians expressed concern about reports of arrests, including those involving British nationals, restrictions on communications, and what they described as a breakdown in dialogue between authorities and representatives of the JAAC.
"We are also concerned by reports of arrests, including those of British nationals, restrictions on communications, and a breakdown in dialogue between the authorities and representatives of the JAAC," the MPs stated in the letter.
The group of British MPs further warned that communication restrictions in a politically sensitive environment could worsen tensions and undermine public confidence.
