Opening Remarks for the Press Briefing by Spokesperson
Assalam-o-Alaikum, Good afternoon and welcome to our Briefing.Let me begin by reiterating Pakistan’s strongest condemnation and rejection of the malafide conviction and sentencing of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik in a grossly suspicious and contrived case registered under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC) dating back to 2017.The Indian Charge d’Affaires (Cd’A) in Islamabad was called to the Foreign Office on 25 May and was conveyed Government of Pakistan’s strong indignation over the highly reprehensible sentencing of Mr. Yasin Malik after his conviction on fabricated charges, denial of fair trial, and inhuman incarceration despite his deteriorating health, in complete defiance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Earlier in the week, in a strong statement Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned Indian court’s fallacious conviction of Yasin Malik and demanded his urgent and immediate release. The Foreign Minister has also written letters to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet and OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, apprising them about the dire human rights and humanitarian situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In particular, the Foreign Minister expressed grave concern over the sham conviction of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik. India must harbor no delusions. Pakistan will continue to raise its voice to express its concerns and highlight the gross excesses that India continues to commit with unchecked impunity against the Kashmiri people and their political leadership in IIOJK. The entire nation is united in support and solidarity with the Kashmiris as also manifested by the unanimous resolutions passed by the joint session of the Parliament. We shall continue to agitate all political, diplomatic and other avenues in this regard. Ladies and Gentlemen,Coming over to the diplomatic engagements during an active past week. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited Davos, Switzerland, to attend World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting from 23-26 May 2022. He was accompanied by MOS Hina Rabbani Khar.This year the Forum was organized under the theme, “History at a Turning Point: Government Policies and Business Strategies.” Both the Foreign Minister and the Minister of State participated in several WEF events on contemporary global and regional issues. The Ministers shared Pakistan’s perspective on the economic and social impacts of the evolving geopolitical developments as well as the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, food and energy security, and climate change.On the sidelines, the Foreign Minister accompanied by Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman and Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar held bilateral meetings with: • Her Majesty Queen Máxima of The Netherlands in her capacity as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development,• Foreign Minister of Finland, Mr. Pekka Haavisto, • Romanian Foreign Minister, Mr. Bogdan Aurescu, • Dr. Nayef Falah M. Al-Hajraf, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), • His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia • Austrian Foreign Minister, Mr. Alexander Schallenberg, and the• Iranian Foreign Minister, Dr Hossein Amir Abdollahian.Ladies and Gentlemen, Prior to Davos, at the special invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited China on 21-22 May. This was his first bilateral visit abroad since assuming office last month. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and senior officials were part of the Foreign Minister’s delegation.You would have seen the Joint Statement adopted at the conclusion of the visit. The two Ministers held extensive consultations and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation. Fast-tracked progress on the transformational China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, flagship project of President Xi Jinping’s visionary Belt and Road Initiative, also featured prominently in the discussions. The visit coincided with the 71st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China, wherein both countries reaffirmed their commitment to the ‘Iron Brotherhood’ and the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership.Ladies and Gentlemen,During the week, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood received several high-level delegations including:• Dr. Jasper Wieck, Germany’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and • James Heappey, Minister for Armed Forces of the United KingdomOn 20th May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also hosted a briefing on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) for resident diplomatic missions of ASEAN member countries. The 3rd rounds of Policy Planning Dialogue, as well as the Bilateral Consultative Forum between Pakistan and Indonesia were held in Bali during the week, providing an opportunity for a comprehensive overview of bilateral relations and ways of strengthening cooperation in diverse fields.Ladies and Gentlemen,On 25th May, together with our African friends, Pakistan celebrated the “Africa Day”, by organizing a virtual event in collaboration with the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). Over 500 guests from 35 African countries participated with representation from the African Union Commission and three Regional Economic Communities namely the East Africa Community (EAC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD).In his opening address, FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to enhance outreach and cooperation with the African Continent through the “Engage Africa” initiative, particularly in the economic and trade domains. Ladies and Gentlemen,Yesterday, 6 Pakistani peacekeepers were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal in a solemn ceremony at the UN Headquarters in New York marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The Government and people of Pakistan join the international community in paying tribute to all peacekeepers from around the world who have made the ultimate sacrifice for safeguarding the ideals of international peace and security.I would also take this opportunity to convey sincere gratitude on behalf of government and people of Pakistan to Government of Iran for sending Ilyushin Il-76 to help put out fires ravaging the forests in Balochistan, at our request. The timely aid helped control the fires that had been raging for 2 weeks, saved precious lives and also averted further spread of the devastating fire. This gesture is a testimony to the strong bond of brotherhood and solidarity between our two countries.
Coming over to IIOJK.
We remain deeply concerned at the continuing repression and human rights violations by the Indian occupation forces. We strongly condemn the extra-judicial killing of 4 innocent Kashmiri youth in Srinagar and Pulwama today. Earlier during the week, 4 Kashmiris were martyred in so-called cordon and search operations in Baramulla and Kupwara.On 21st May, the Government and people of Pakistan paid homage to Shaheed Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq and Shaheed Abdul Ghani Lone who were martyred by Indian occupation forces on 21 May 1990 and 21 May 2002 respectively. Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) commemorated the significant contributions of the two iconic Kashmiri leaders to the struggle for self-determination.Let me state clearly, India’s designs to silence the Kashmiris and their leadership through oppression, wanton use of force and sham trials will never succeed. As the popular reaction in IIOJK on the sentencing of Yasin Malik proves, this will provide further momentum to their legitimate struggle.
Pakistan once again urges India to halt its state terrorism, immediately cease human rights violations, release all Kashmiri leaders detained on trumped-up charges, and lift the inhumane military siege of IIOJK.We also call upon the international community, international human rights organizations and particularly the United Nations and its human rights machinery to take cognizance of the dire humanitarian situation in IIOJK, hold India accountable for its shameless violations of international law and norms, and to play their role in ensuring a just resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
