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Pakistan draws world's attention towards children of IOJ&K
June 04, 2020

Pakistan has drawn world's attention towards the children of Occupied Kashmir who have been living in the midst of a brutal and repressive Indian regime for more than seven decades.

Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui in a weekly briefing in Islamabad today that coincided with International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, said children of Occupied Kashmir have been the direct target of Indian violence and aggression as a means to control, silence and punish any dissent from their families and the local communities.

She said abduction and molestation of young boys and girls during mid-night raids and Cordon and Search Operations is the preferred punitive tool of the Indian occupation forces.

She said aggression against children reached an unprecedented height especially after the abrogation of the disputed territory's special status on 5th August last year.

According to reports of independent voices within India, around 13000 boys were abducted after 5th August 2019, some as young as 14 years old. These children were kept far away from their families in jails of Agra, Delhi and in Tihar. 

The psychological trauma resulting from such brutalities committed against these vulnerable children will have long lasting effects on their lives and will compromise the full development of their personalities. 

Aisha Farooqui urged the International Community to come forward to protect the vulnerable children of Occupied Kashmir and press upon India to ensure their protection and safeguard their fundamental rights.

Expressing deep concern over unabated extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youth in fake encounters and so-called anti-infiltration operations, the FO spokesperson said while the international community is pre-occupied with fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, India is busy intensifying its brutalization of the Kashmiri people. The RSS-BJP combine stands exposed before the world for its illegal and inhuman actions and its crimes against humanity in Occupied Kashmir.

She said in recent days, the Vice President of the European Parliament, along with 14 Members of European Parliament, has addressed a joint letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell, on the grim human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.

In their letter, the MEPs have raised important points including that Kashmir has become one of the "world's most militarized zones" and a "tremendously dangerous conflict flash point."

The MEPs also mentioned the imposition of de facto 9-month military lockdown, a stifling curfew, shutting down of telecommunications and internet, and arrest of political leaders.

Aisha Faroqui said Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed another comprehensive communication to the UN Security Council President and the UN Secretary General, apprising them of the latest situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

She said Pakistan is closely monitoring the situation along the China-India border areas. We hope that the issue will be resolved in line with agreed understandings and established mechanisms to maintain peace and stability in the region.