Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has sent a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights drawing his attention towards worsening human rights situation in occupied Kashmir in particular and in India as a whole following the Pulwama incident. 

The Foreign Minister pointed out that the situation is turning from bad to worse. He said there is now a concerted campaign to whip up hatred and violence against Kashmiris and discrimination against them across India.

He welcomed the concerns shown by the UN High Commissioner on 19th of this month about using Pulwama attack by such elements as justification for threats and violence against Kashmiris and Muslims in various parts of India.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi asked the UN High Commissioner to continue monitoring of the situation and to call for protecting people from all forms of harm on account of their identity and ethnicity. 

He urged the UN High Commissioner to issue a call on India to allow unhindered access to UN mechanisms to occupied Kashmir.

He stressed that India must also be obliged to comply with its international humanitarian law obligations with respect to the held valley.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi also welcomed the call made earlier this week on India by the European Parliament's Sub-Committee on Human Rights to end its atrocities in the occupied Kashmir.

FM urges SAARC to play constructive role for maintaining peace in South Asia

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has urged SAARC to play a constructive role for maintaining peace in South Asian region.  

He made these remarks during a telephonic conversation with his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali today (Saturday).

The Foreign Minister pointed out that the SAARC forum was established to bring the regional countries close to each other.

The Nepalese Foreign Minister on the occasion said that maintaining peace in the region is the collective responsibility which is in the interest of all the regional countries.

Talking to his Sri Lankan counterpart Tilak Marapana on telephone, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has emphasized that Pakistan wants peace for stability in the region.

Both the Foreign Minister's discussed prevailing situation and regional peace and security.

Foreign Minister informed his Sri Lankan counterpart of the letter he wrote to President of the United Nations Security Council.

Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana said his country also wants peace in the region as conflict is not in anyone's interest.Tilak Marapana said we support holding talks to resolve all issues.