Report on Kashmir expresses concern on minorities situation in Pakistan

European Parliament member Baroness Emma Nicholson will present her controversial report on Jammu and Kashmir in the House on May 21 for discussion.

London/New Delhi, May 5 : European Parliament member Baroness Emma Nicholson will present her controversial report on Jammu and Kashmir in the House on May 21 for discussion.

The report, which also talks about the situation prevailing in Pakistan, has expressed high concern about the difficult situation faced by all minorities in that country. Addressing a press conference here, she said Pakistan needed to do more to live up to its commitment made in the human rights field.

"We are very concerned about the difficult situation faced by all minorities of all descriptions particularly in Pakistan. So we ask to look again at democratic accountability, women's rights, freedom of expression, torture, mistreatment, corruption and fundamental civil and political rights. These are all EU values and you will find them expressed in this report and in common with other reports in similar situation," Nicholson said.

Calling democracy as the bedrock of the fundamental freedoms that is enjoyed in all the member state of the European Union, she said it is absolutely necessary to pave the way for democracy to flourish in Pakistan.

"Therefore, democracy in Pakistan without any doubt be our high goal because we believe that is the way the voice of the people and the will of the people can best be expressed," she added.

Commenting on the situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan occupied Kashmir, and the Northern Areas, she said, to get the true picture of these regions, international human rights organizations should be allowed to have access there.

"One way forward is to allow several of the highly regarded international human rights organizations to have full and unrestricted access to all the parts of the former princely state, so that the reality of the situation in Gilgit and Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir, can be identified and classified," Nicholson said.

The 'Report on Kashmir: Present situation and future prospect' calls on both India and Pakistan to take the opportunity, afforded by the statements of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf, to inject a new impetus for exploring options for "increased self-governance, freedom of movement, demilitarisation and intergovernmental cooperation on issues such as water, tourism, trade and the environment and to promote a genuine breakthrough in seeking a resolution of the Kashmir dispute".

The Report regrets that Pakistan has consistently failed to fulfil its obligations to introduce meaningful and representative democratic structures in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

"The fact that AJK is governed through the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs in Islamabad, that Pakistan officials dominate the Kashmir Council and that the Chief Secretary, the Inspector-General of Police, the Accountant-General and the Finance Secretary are all from Pakistan; disapproves of the provision in the 1974 Interim Constitution which forbids any political activity that is not in accordance with the doctrine of Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan and obliges any candidate for a parliamentary seat in AJK to sign a declaration of loyalty to that effect; is concerned that the Gilgit-Baltistan region enjoys no form of democratic representation whatsoever," says the report.

It has also expressed concern regarding the lack of freedom of expression in AJK and reports of torture and mistreatment, of discrimination against refugees from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and of corruption amongst government officials.

The Report further calls on Pakistan to ensure free and fair elections in AJK, considering that the general elections of 11 July 2006 were characterised by fraud and vote rigging on a massive scale, and that any candidate who refused to uphold the position of the accession of Kashmir to Pakistan was barred from running.

ANI