Top European Commission officials promise to take up with India human rights violations in IIOJK

BRUSSELS: Acknowledging deep concerns raised by members of the European Parliament regarding the dire human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President Joseph Borrell have expressed their conviction to take up the matter with the Indian government in the near future.

They have also emphasised the significance of negotiations surrounding human rights issues in the occupied Kashmir.

President von der Leyen and Vice-President Borrell underscored the need for talks on human rights violations through a letter to the European Parliament members, mostly belonging to Italy, Greece, France, Spain, and Sweden.

Among the prominent members who had sought attention to human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir are Castaldo Fiore Massimo, Spinelli Sabrina, Rozemarie Demata, Satoorh Monir, Solé Jordi, Abiusi Clara, Kologlu Stelios, and Van Orden Geoffrey.

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The European Parliament has been urged to empower the president and vice-president of the European Commission to engage with the Indian and Pakistani governments, particularly focusing on curbing the violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir.

Chaudhry Parvez Iqbal Losar, Deputy Chair of the European Pakistan Friendship Federation (EPFF), has recently intensified efforts to raise awareness about human rights in occupied Kashmir.

Losar’s proactive outreach to the aforementioned European Parliament members has prompted them to call for strengthening the role of the president and vice-president of the European Commission in addressing human rights violations and encouraging the Indian government to grant the people of occupied Kashmir the rights enshrined in United Nations agreements.

The European Parliament members, in their letter, had urged the president and vice-president of the European Commission to bring India and Pakistan to the negotiating table and play their role in resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue.

They had emphasised that negotiations remain the sole solution to the pressing issue.

Acknowledging Chaudhry Parvez Iqbal Losar’s positive role and endeavours, the European Parliament has commended his constructive efforts to highlight the issue of occupied Kashmir on the global stage.