UN Human rights head concerned over Kashmir situation

Seeks unconditional access to J&K, PaK to monitor human rights situation

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir and wants India and Pakistan to avoid inflammatory remarks and de-escalate the situation through dialogue, a UN official said today.
“We urge India and Pakistan to engage in a dialogue and to de-escalate the situation. The inflammatory remarks on both sides only fuel the tensions and could result in a further deterioration of the human rights situation,” a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in Geneva.
The spokesperson said High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is seriously concerned about the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as the rising tensions between India and Pakistan.
The official reiterated the UN body’s call for unfettered and unconditional access to both Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir to enable it to independently and impartially monitor the human rights situation.
“We stand ready to support efforts to de-escalate the situation,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, a Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson in Islamabad welcomed the UN High Commissioner spokesman’s statement on alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.