New York, 22 July 2022 (TDI): Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, spoke at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debate on Children and Armed Conflict regarding the children’s suffering in India’s Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Despite the persistent concerns raised by multiple @UN Special Rapporteurs & Mandate Holders of the #HumanRights Council & #SRSG on Children & Armed Conflict, #HR & humanitarian situation of children in #IIOJK has continued to deteriorate esp since 5 Aug 2019: Amb Munir Akram #SC pic.twitter.com/zfNzgMK1IB
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to UN, NY (@PakistanUN_NY) July 19, 2022
Pakistan urged the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict to bring their attention to the misery of children in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The representative further claimed that the occupying forces are committing “horrifying crimes” against children there.
While addressing to 15-Member Council, he said that Children and youth are being detained and subjected to ill-treatment and torture in IIOJK. And it is just for the sake of extracting confessions that they are associated with the Kashmiri groups struggling for self-determination.
In addition, he cited the Secretary-General’s report, which urged India to take preventive measures to protect children in IIOJK. It refrained India from using pellets and illegal detention in occupied Kashmir and several prisons across India.
The Pakistani envoy insisted that 90,000 Indian occupation forces have arbitrarily abducted an estimated 13,000 Kashmiri children and youth since 2019, when India illegally enacted legislation to annex the disputed territory.
He further added the Pakistani government released a comprehensive report detailing 3,432 war crimes, including those committed against women and children by senior officers of Indian occupying forces since 1989.
Appeal for Accountability and Inclusivity
He urged the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict to hold accountable those responsible for such horrifying acts. And monitor the situation of children in IIOJK.
Moreover, the ambassador expressed support for the Special Representative to deal with situations of children in armed conflict. But emphasized that it has a specific mandate to handle the conditions of children in “armed conflict.”
However, it does not include consideration of violence occurring within Member states, which falls under their respective jurisdictions.
Lastly, he asserted that human rights and the humanitarian situation for children in IIOJK have worsened since August 5, 2019 despite the repeated concerns expressed by numerous UN Special Rapporteurs, Mandate holders of the Human Rights Council, and SRSG on Children and Armed Conflict.
