‘Will continue to urge India to lift curfew, release all prisoners,’ say US senators after visit to AJK – World

A high-level delegation of the United States Congress composed of Senators Chris Van Hollen and Maggie Hassan along with their employees and the ambassador of the Charge d'Affaires of the United States, Paul Jones, visited Muzaffarabad on Sunday to "see the situation of the ground and measure public sentiment "after the illegal actions taken by India in busy Jammu and Kashmir.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US senators said they "would continue to urge India to lift the curfew and release all prisoners as a first step."

Major General Amer gave the visiting delegation a detailed briefing on the current situation on the Control Line (LoC).

The US delegation also met with the president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sardar Masood Khan, and Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider.

According to a statement by PM Haider on Twitter, he told the two US senators that "Kashmir is not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, but a matter of the future of the Kashmir nation and will be resolved by the main party [Kashmiris] on the basis of the right to self-determination. "

The AJK leadership expressed gratitude to the United States senators for visiting the region and "thanked their support for the just cause of the people of Jammu and Kashmir," the FO statement said.

The US delegation was offered "to see first hand the vibrant and prosperous community of Kashmir in Azad Kashmir" and was given a historical record of the dispute, along with the "deteriorated situation" in the occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir afterwards of India’s decision to strip their country. semi autonomous state on August 5.

Senators were informed of the "prolonged curfew and the suppression of fundamental rights and freedoms" from the measure of the Indian government.

AJK leaders expressed hope that with the experience and first-hand information gathered, US leaders would be better equipped to understand the "prevailing humanitarian crisis" in the disputed territory and, as a result, could better explain the realities of the ground to his colleagues on Capitol Hill and in the administration.

"It was noted that the denial policy of the Indian government to allow neutral observers to visit the occupied Jammu and Kashmir had exposed the deceptive propaganda of India & # 39; everything is fine & # 39;" said the Foreign Ministry in its statement.

President Masood Khan and Prime Minister Farooq Haider urged US leaders to "play their part in saving the people of Jammu and Kashmir from the brutal repressive measures of India." US leaders were also asked to continue "pressuring India to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UNSC resolutions."

"Among other things, they also shared the vision and priorities of the Government of AJK, which focused on governance, the rule of law and development," said the FO statement.

US leaders "shared concerns about human rights" and "expressed their determination to remain committed to resolving the dispute," the statement said concluding.

Forbidden to visit occupied Kashmir

Two days ago, Senator Chris Van Hollen was denied access to occupied Kashmir during his visit to India for business and other reasons.

He told reporters in New Delhi that the Indian government had denied his request to travel to occupied Kashmir.

The Maryland Democrat said Washington was "closely monitoring the humanitarian situation" in Kashmir.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on human rights in South Asia later this month, and Kashmir is expected to be the center of attention.

Sandeep Pandey, an education reformer, also said that he and other activists were banned from leaving the Srinagar airport, the main city in the region, where they had traveled on Friday for an informal research mission.

"They delayed us and we don't know why it was done," Pandey told a news conference on Saturday in New Delhi.

The district magistrate prevented him from traveling beyond the arrivals hall, citing a law that limits public meetings, according to a copy of the order.

The 54-year-old man intended to "organize protests" against constitutional changes in Kashmir, according to the order.

Pandey denied the charge.