FARUKH SHEHZAD

BRUSSELS, OCT 14 /DNA/ – Chairman Kashmir Council EU Ali Raza Syed has said that Pakistan needs more effective diplomacy to highlight the Kashmir issue at the global level in the current scenario.

He was addressing a seminar at National University of Modern Languages ​​(NUML), Islamabad, a well-known educational institution of Pakistan, yesterday. Political analyst and university professor Tahir Naeem Malik, international relations teacher and researcher Dr. Syed Sibtain Shah and management sciences professor Dr. Abdul Wahid and student leaders Ubaid Khan and Mansoor Qaisrani also addressed the seminar.

Ali Raza Syed said that although the Kashmir issue has been a recognized global issue for the past seven decades, but after August 2019, this conflict has once again become the focus of the world’s special attention. Especially the way India has removed two provisions of its constitution for ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and increased atrocities on Kashmiris, the issue needs to be highlighted with a new strategy.

He said that the Pakistani political leadership and Pakistan authorities should come together and formulate a new strategy on this issue by which they can stop India’s illegal actions in Jammu and Kashmir and expose India’s terrible face to the world.

Ali Raza Syed said that along with revoking the special status of Kashmir, India has changed the domicile law of Jammu and Kashmir and its nefarious purpose is to bring people from other regions of India to settle in Jammu and Kashmir. Work on this conspiracy has already started. India’s aim is to change the proportion of the population in Jammu and Kashmir in order to achieve its objectives in case of any possible plebiscite in the region of Jammu and Kashmir.

He further said that many political leaders of occupied Kashmir, human rights activists and journalists are imprisoned in Indian jails and their lives are in danger.

Chairman Kashmir Council EU Ali Raza Syed also addressed an other gathering called by Kashmir Council at NUML, an organization of Kashmiri students, on the occasion of his visit to the University main campus in Islamabad. During this event, Dr. Syed Sibtain Shah and Prof. Tahir Naeem introduced the guest.

Ali Raza Syed urged the Kashmiri students to pay full attention to their studies and try to understand the Kashmir issue in the current context. Try to make the world aware of Kashmir conflict and Indian atrocities against the people of Kashmir.

He asked all the students present on the occasion to play their role for the development and prosperity of the society. A cake was also cut by the organization office bearers on the occasion.

Kashmir Council EU Chairman Ali Raza Syed also visited the Press Club on the invitation of Pakistan Federation of Unions of Journalists (PFUJ)’s President Afzal Butt. The host, press club officials and other senior journalists welcomed the guest and people accompanying him. Afzal Butt paid tribute to Chairman Kashmir Council EU Ali Raza Syed for highlighting Kashmir issue in Europe. Ali Raza Syed thanked the host and while talking on situation of human rights in occupied Jammu and Kashmir said, the occupied land needs attention of the world. He appreciated the services of Khurram Parvez, Parvez Imrooz, Parveena Ahangar, Ahsan Untoo for raising human rights of the Kashmiris. He demanded the immediate release of Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Khurram Parvez, Ahsan Untoo and other Kashmiri prisoners.

On this occasion, Professor of Politics Tahir Naeem Malik and International Relations teacher and researcher Dr. Syed Sibtain Shah, Professor Saeed Ahmad, Mohsin Raza Khan, Abid Abbasi and others were also present on the occasion. Specially Professor Saeed Ahmad talked on historical and cultural aspect of Jammu and Kashmir with particular reference to Sufi poetry. Afzal Butt hosted dinner in honor of Chairman Kashmir Council EU Ali Raza Syed at the press club.

------------------------

SOFIA, OCT 12 /DNA/  –  A ‘Pakistan Trade and Cultural Centre’ was inaugurated in the Embassy of Pakistan today. The centre displays samples relating to main Pakistani export items i.e., textile products, leather goods, sports goods, surgical instruments & medical supplies, Himalayan salt product and traditional Pakistani handicrafts. Different paintings depicting the rich cultural diversity of Pakistani provinces are also displayed in the centre.

The inauguration of the centre was carried out by Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov, President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a simple and dignified ceremony which was attended by different businessmen from Sofia as well as representatives of regional chambers. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Simeonov thanked the Embassy for its continuous efforts and initiatives to strengthen trade relations between the two friendly countries, including by organizing exhibitions and arranging online B-2-B meetings.

 He appreciated the initiative of the Embassy to establish this ‘Trade & Cultural Centre’ which would help the Bulgarian businessmen immensely as they could see the samples directly and get information about the respective businesses. On the occasion, he also encouraged the Bulgarian businesses to take advantage of GSP+ status of Pakistan which allowed the import of products duty-free in the European Union markets.

In her remarks, the Ambassador thanked Mr. Simeonov and officials of BCCI for their continuous support to all initiatives of the Embassy aimed at cementing the trade relations between the two countries. She said that the actual trade volume between the two countries was still not commensurate with the actual potential that exists between the two economies. In this regard, she encouraged the Bulgarian businesses to take advantage of still-unexplored Pakistani market and established useful business linkages with their counterparts there. She assured full support of the Embassy to the concerned business associations and companies in Bulgaria in this regard.

On the occasion, documentaries depicting the trade and tourism potential as well as rich cultural diversity of Pakistan were also shown to the participants.   

------------------------

ANKARA, Oct 12: Kazakhstan continues to fulfill its obligations under the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the country’s defense minister said on Wednesday.

“No crisis within the intergovernmental military alliance,” Ruslan Zhaksylykov said. “Let’s rely on our state, on our legislation. We comply with all the established norms, everything is in order with us,” he added, urging against speculation on the alliance.

The statement comes two weeks after top military officials and defense ministers gathered for a meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a regional Eurasian bloc of post-Soviet countries.

On Sunday, CSTO member Kyrgyzstan announced the cancellation of the alliance’s military exercises a day before they were scheduled to begin.

No statement was released on the reason behind the cancellation, but it came amid border tensions between Kyrgyzstan and neighboring Tajikistan, also a CSTO member.

The CSTO was founded in 1992 and consists of six former Soviet states, namely Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

--------------------

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives, condemning violations of human rights and religious freedom in India and calling for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate India as a "country of particular concern", it emerged on Thursday.

The resolution, co-sponsored by lawmakers Rashida Talib and Juan Vargas, was submitted on Tuesday, according to the US Congress website. It based its arguments to declare India as a country of particular concern on the conclusions and findings of a report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

The resolution

The text of the resolution, available on the US Congress website, highlighted that the USCIRF had called for designating India as a country of particular concern for 3 consecutive years.

Citing the USCIRF’s 2022 annual report, the resolution stated that in 2021, “the Indian government escalated its promotion and enforcement of policies — including those promoting a Hindu-nationalist agenda — that negatively affect Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and other religious minorities”.

According to the resolution, the report further said: “The government continued to systemise its ideological vision of a Hindu state at both the national and state levels through the use of both existing and new laws and structural changes hostile to the country’s religious minorities.”

Moreover, the resolution said, the report described the use of laws such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Sedition Law in India as a means “to create an increasing climate of intimidation and fear in an effort to silence anyone speaking out against the government”.

The report also mentioned cases of the Indian government's “repression of religious minority leaders and voices for religious pluralism in India, including the Jesuit human rights defender Father Stan Swamy and the Muslim human rights advocate Khurram Parvez,” the resolution said, adding that the report also listed numerous examples of the Indian government "criminalising, harassing, and repressing interfaith couples and converts from Hinduism to Christianity or Islam".

In this connection, the report also highlighted the "severe risks of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Registry of Citizens for Indian Muslims, including the possibility of rendering millions stateless or subject to indefinite detention".

According to the resolution, the report said: "In 2021, numerous attacks were made on religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, and their neighbourhoods, businesses, homes, and houses of worship.

"Many of these incidents were violent, unprovoked, and/or encouraged or incited by government officials."

The USCIRF report further stated: “In 2021, mass protests continued against farm laws enacted in September 2020. Despite the widespread and diverse nature of the protests, efforts — including by government officials — were still made to discredit the protesters, especially Sikh protesters, as terrorists and religiously motivated separatists.”

The resolution said the report further cited a 2021 Oxfam India study which found that a third of Indian Muslims reported discriminatory treatment at hospitals during the surge of Covid in India.

"As of June 2022, USCIRF lists 45 Indian nationals on its Freedom of Religion or Belief Victims list, all of whom were listed for their detention," the resolution stated, adding that 35 of those 45 prisoners of conscience remain detained.

The resolution also referred to a 2021 report of the State Department, which was published on June 2, 2022.

The 'Report on International Religious Freedom' outlined numerous examples of violence and threats of violence against religious minorities, particularly Muslims and Christians, in India throughout 2021, the resolution said.

It added that while launching the report during a press conference, Blinken said: "In India, the world’s largest democracy and home to a great diversity of faiths, we’ve seen rising attacks on people and places of worship."

And at the same press conference, the resolution continued, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain said: “We are concerned with targeting of a number of religious communities in India, including Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindu Dalits, and indigenous communities as well."

On these grounds, the resolution concluded, the House condemned human rights violations and violations of international religious freedom in India, including those targeting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Adivasis, and other religious and cultural minorities.

It added that the House also expressed grave concern about the "worsening treatment" of religious minorities in India and called on Blinken to designate India as a "country of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act of, 1998.

The resolution has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

----------------------------

COURTESY DAWN NEWS