RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to exchange views on formulating an effective policy to highlight Pakistan’s response on media to Modi government’s atrocities in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

According to media office of the foreign minister, the meeting was held at the Foreign Office in which Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information & Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Moeed Yusuf, Adviser on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood and senior officials of the Foreign Office participated.

It stated that the meeting exchanged views on highlighting the Kashmir issue and Pakistan’s position on various foreign policy issues globally through media.

Speaking during the meeting, the foreign minister said that India through continued curfew in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir is subjecting 8 million defenseless Kashmiri people to worst brutalities. He said that the Modi government, through communication blackout and other restrictions, is attempting to suppress the Kashmiri people.

However, he said that Pakistan is committed to raising the voice of Kashmiri people and sensitizing the international community on the crimes of the Indian government. He said that all possible steps, including taking up the issue with UN Security Council and other international platforms, will be taken to expose the Modi government globally and highlight the brutalities in the Occupied Kashmir.

During the meeting, it was also decided to reactivate the Institute of Regional Studies. The meeting also exchanged views on promotion of research activities with international standards.

Earlier, while chairing a meeting of the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed the apprehensions that India can stage a false flag operation to divert world’s attention from grave human rights violations in the occupied valley and its internal situation.

He said that the entire India is protesting against the Mod government’s Hindutva policies, adding those who protest discriminatory measures of the Indian government, are facing the worst police torture at the behest of the Modi regime.

Qureshi said that police are involved in torturing people by raiding Muslim majority areas in the Indian states.

Referring to the situation in the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, he said that millions of people have been facing curfew since the BJP government undertook illegal and unilateral steps on August 5, 2019.

The meeting, which was attended by the incumbent and former foreign secretaries as well as foreign policy experts, decided to further enhance diplomatic efforts with the international community so that the people of Kashmir may get rid of the continuing Indian suppression and worst human rights abuses.