Conflict

It would be wrong for us to pretend that situation is absolutely normal in Kashmir, says Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor, Congress leader and former diplomat to the UN has said in a statement that New Delhi should specify if there are any inaccuracies in the UN report on Kashmir.

“UN Human Rights Commission has to do its job and we have to do ours. It would be wrong for us to pretend that the situation is absolutely normal in Kashmir. There have been issues and violence in Kashmir and perhaps also in response to human rights violations,” he said.

The 49 page report comes amidst increasing violence and operations towards militants in the valley, after the end of the Ramzan ceasefire agreement proclaimed earlier by the Government of India.

Tharoor added that criticism should be given to the report if it is incorrect. “The government has to look into the report carefully. Wherever it is wrong, criticise it. Where there is substance, we ourselves need corrective measures in the interests of the people.”

The Ministry of External Affairs released a statement debunking the contents of the report, calling it “mischevious, misleading and unaceptable”.

““The report violates India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The entire state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the Indian state through aggression. We have repeatedly called upon Pakistan to vacate the occupied territories.”

The MEA also added that “it is disturbing that those behind this report have chosen to describe internationally designated and UN-proscribed terrorist entities as “armed groups” and terrorists as “leaders”. This undermines the UN-led consensus on zero tolerance to terrorism.” It also said that there were ‘no such entities like Gilgit-Balkistan and Azad Kashmir.’

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