Indian provocations at LoC designed to hide inhuman crimes: AJK President

Sardar Masood Khan advised the people to strictly maintain social distances, cooperate with the govt

MIRPUR (APP) – Azad Jammu Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan while strongly condemning the unprovoked Indian firing at the Line of Control (LoC) border village of Kotli district which left a woman martyred and caused loss to public property, has said that such cowardly action cannot deter the valiant Kashmiri people from their just struggle for their right to self-determination.

In a statement on Tuesday, he said that India had been continuing unprovoked firing at the LoC for a long period in violation of the 2003 ceasefire agreement.

He said that the sole motive behind such cowardly acts is nothing but to hide the crimes against humanity being committed by the Indian forces in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and to divert the attention of the international community from the worst human rights violations there.

Regretting the martyrdom of 14 Kashmiri people in occupied Kashmir during the last five days, the AJK president said that the Indian government instead of protecting the Kashmiri people from the novel coronavirus was busy in their ethnic cleansing, and the international community including the United Nations must take its notice. “The coronavirus is rapidly spreading in occupied Kashmir and the doctors are unable to properly treat the people because of inadequate protective equipment, he said adding that this state of affairs has posed serious dangers to the lives of the Kashmir people.

Expressing grave concern over the illegal detentions of thousands of Kashmiri youth in prisons in occupied Kashmir and India, he appealed to the World Health Organization and the UN Human Rights Commission to mount pressure on India to release these political prisoners in view of the coronavirus pandemic as unhygienic conditions in prisons were injurious to the health of the inmates.

Meanwhile, in a video message, the AJK president has said that as a vaccine of coronavirus could not be developed so far, social distancing is the sole prevention of this disease.

He said that during his recent visit Mirpur, he was happy to note a decline in coronavirus cases, and he appreciates the Mirpur administration, police, military, doctors, ulema and philanthropists for their joint response to the pandemic and averting the food crisis. Smart or partial lockdown does not mean a termination of lockdown, he said and cautioned that according to the WHO chief if the precautionary measures are overlooked, up to 200,000 deaths can occur in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir by July next.

Sardar Masood Khan advised the people to strictly maintain social distances, cooperate with the government and do not pay heed to rumours.