Kashmiri women’s mass rape in 1991 continues to be a scar on int’l community’s conscience: FO

Islamabad: Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday highlighting the mass rape of Kashmiri women in 1991, said the lack of accountability over last 32 years for this “shameful episode” was a frightening example of the impunity that defined India’s human rights violations in the IIOJK.

“Yesterday marked the 32nd anniversary of the despicable acts of mass rape of Kashmiri women carried out by the Indian occupation forces in Kunan and Poshpora villages of Kupwara in 1991…It continues to be a scar on the collective conscience of the international community,” she said in her weekly press briefing.

The spokesperson said Pakistan remained concerned at the ongoing human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

“Pakistan will continue to raise our voice against such grave human rights violations in Kashmir. We will also continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to our Kashmiri brothers and sisters for the just and peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions.”

The spokesperson also strongly condemned the brutal killing of innocent civilians in occupied Palestinian territories and reiterated full support to the Palestinian people and called for a total withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Arab territories including Jerusalem.

“There should be a restitution of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to exercise self-determination and sovereignty in an independent and viable state of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif, as its capital,” she said.

The spokesperson also called for a just resolution to the plight of Palestinian refugees in accordance with the General Assembly Resolution, 1943 of December 11, 1948.

​Highlighting the diplomatic engagements during the last week, the spokesperson mentioned Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s visit to Europe.

Regarding his two-day visit to Hungary, she told the media that besides holding detailed talks with his counterpart Peter Szijjarto, the two countries signed three MoUs on Cooperation between the Foreign Service Academies of the two countries; on sports and sports education; and on enhancing scholarship program for Pakistani students in Hungarian universities.

“With this MoU, the number of annual scholarships for Pakistani students in universities in Hungary will be doubled from 200 to 400,” she added.

The foreign minister also undertook a visit to Germany and Lithuania. In Germany, he attended the Munich Security Dialogue-2023 and participated in several sessions and round table discussions including a panel discussion on Afghanistan.

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Dialogue, the foreign minister held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Finland, Germany, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Malta, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine.

He held important consultations with Politburo Member of the CPC Central Committee & Director of Central Foreign Affairs Commission of China, Mr. Wang Yi, and Vice-President of the EU Commission Josep Borell.

About Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif’s visit to Kabul along with a high-level delegation, the spokesperson said the two sides discussed the growing threat of terrorism in the region, particularly by TTP and ISKP were discussed.

The two sides agreed to collaborate to effectively address the threat of terrorism posed by terrorist entities and organizations. It was also agreed to strengthen multifaceted bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Spokesperosn Mumtaz Baloch told the media that 9th Pakistan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting was currently underway in Washington DC that provided a forum for the two countries to discuss bilateral trade and investment including exploring access for Pakistani exports to the US market.

Today’s TIFA Council meeting is another important milestone in the series of high-level bilateral engagements with the US this year. It signifies the importance attached by both sides to add positive momentum in pursuing a broad-based bilateral agenda of cooperation.

She said Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar will lead the Pakistan delegation to the 8th meeting of the Uzbek-Pakistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation (IGC) being held in Tashkent on Thursday.

Coming to the upcoming events, she said Pakistan in its capacity as the chair of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) would host a one-day conference on “Women in Islam: Understanding the Rights and Identity of Women in the Islamic World” on March 8, 2023 at the UN Headquarters on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

To a question, the spokesperson said in a telephone conversation between the prime minister and the President of Kenya, the prime minister also raised the case of Pakistani journalist, the late Arshad Sharif, who was murdered in Kenya. The Kenyan president was forthcoming and he assured the full support and cooperation in the matter.

Asked about the impact of 15% budgetary cut under the government’s austerity measures, various austerity proposals were under consideration of the foreign ministry as well.

To a question about the ​State Department counselor Derek Chollet’s statement that the US was concerned about debts owed to China by Pakistan, the spokesperson said Pakistan considered China as its All Weather Strategic Cooperative partner.

“China has been a consistent, generous and steadfast friend that has stood by Pakistan for the last several decades and the Pakistani nation is proud of our friendship with China, which has always come to Pakistan’s assistance when most needed.”

Regarding the relief supplies to Turkiye, she told the media that Pakistan stood in complete solidarity with its Turkish brothers and sisters and would continue to support them in this difficult time.

“Our missions abroad have been instructed to fully engage with our diaspora to generously contribute to the earthquake relief efforts. The Missions remain in active touch with the respective Turkish embassies on the specific needs and requirements of the Turkish government in the worst affected areas.”

On Ukraine conflict, the spokesperson said Pakistan believed that the conflict was not in the interest of anyone and especially developing countries like Pakistan who have been worse affected because of the rising oil and food prices.

“Since Pakistan has suffered itself from conflict in our region we have always advocated for peaceful settlement of disputes and believe that peace and dialogue are important in resolution of this conflict as well,” she added.