- Says peace in Afghanistan vital for regional stability
ISLAMABAD, November 30: Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Nafees Zakaria on Wednesday has said that India has deployed over 1 million troops in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK).
During an interview with Radio Pakistan Zakaria said that despite Pakistan’s concerns, India had deployed the highest concentration of troops in the world in held Kashmir.
Terming the deployment of presence of Indian troops’ at a large scale, a hurdle in implementation of the United Nations (UN) resolution, he said Indian troops are killing innocent people and violating basic human rights in held Kashmir for the past four months.
Zakaria urged India to stop bloodshed in IOK immediately.
Pakistan believes in peaceful resolution of every outstanding issue with India, Zakaria was quoted as saying.
He demanded the UN to play its role for peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue and said that it was also a responsibility of the UN to implement its resolution.
In the worst civilian violence to hit the restive region of IOK since 2010, at least 90 Kashmiri civilians have been killed and thousands more injured in Indian-held Kashmir in clashes with security forces after the killing of a prominent Kashmiri separatist leader Burhan Wani, in a military operation on July 8.
Wani, a 22-year-old commander of Kashmir’s largest pro-independence militant group Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), was killed along with two other separatists during a gun battle with Indian government forces.
Wani joined the HM group at the age of just 15, and was viewed as a hero by many in Kashmir. The state’s former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted after his death that he had become the “new icon of Kashmir’s disaffected”.
Witnesses said tens of thousands attended his funeral despite a curfew imposed by Indian authorities, chanting independence slogans.
Nafees Zakaria has said, “That peace in Afghanistan is vital for regional stability.”
Speaking at a TV programme he said, “Pakistan is going to participate in Heart of Asia Conference being held in India because it is related to Afghanistan.” He said, “Pakistan firmly believes in peace and stability in Afghanistan.”
Nafees Zakaria said, “Despite Pakistan’s concerns India has deployed more than one million troops in occupied Kashmir which is highest concentration of troops in world.” He also said, “The presence of Indian troops’ at large scale is a hurdle in implementation of the United Nations resolution.”
The Spokesperson said, “Indian troops are killing innocent people and violating basic human rights in Occupied Kashmir since past four months.” Zakaria urged India to stop bloodshed in occupied Kashmir immediately and said Pakistan believes in peaceful resolution of every outstanding issue with India.
He demanded of the UN to play its role for peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue. He said, “It is also responsibility of the UN to implement its resolution.” The Spokesperson also condemned India’s ill intentions to sabotage Indus Water Treaty. -Sabah/DNA
