Pakistani Senator calls on Russia to influence India on Kashmir issue

Pakistani senator Shibli Faraz called on Russia to intervene and influence India in resolving the situation around Jammu and Kashmir, where, according to him, human rights violations are taking place.

Faraz said that Pakistan wants to develop friendly relations with all neighboring countries. “This will contribute to the development of the entire region as a whole. Unfortunately, our neighbor India recently violated this balance. We are grateful to Russia for not blocking a meeting at the UN Security Council on this issue”, –  Faraz said at a meeting with the chairman of the Federation Council committee on international affairs Konstantin Kosachev.

“We understand that Russia and India have historically good relations, but we hope that friendship with one country will not interfere with the development of relations with other countries”, –  he added.

Faraz stressed that Pakistan “appreciates the role and behavior of Russia in this situation, especially given the actions of India in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where curfews have been imposed and human rights violations are occurring”.

“We would highly appreciate if the Russian Federation could influence India to stop what is happening in Kashmir related to the violation of human rights, with the fact that India has pulled a large number of troops into this part. Pakistan is very concerned about what is happening in Kashmir”, – he said.

Relations between India and Pakistan escalated after August 5, New Delhi announced a decision to abolish the state of Jammu and Kashmir, creating on its basis two union territories (administrative units that have less rights than the state): Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. To do this, the Indian Parliament repealed article 370 of the constitution, which gave the state special status. Pakistan, which claims to be the Indian part of Kashmir, sharply condemned this decision.

After the Muslim regions of British India formed a separate state of Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir was the only Indian state where the majority are Muslims. The separatists are active there, of which the Pakistani authorities accuse New Delhi of support. Islamabad rejects these allegations, saying that the residents of Kashmir are independently fighting for their rights.