The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) on Monday demanded the Indian government to lift the month-old curfew in occupied Kashmir on urgent basis, to end the on-going humanitarian crisis in the valley.
Expressing serious concern over the on-going lockdown, suspension of all communication mediums and media blackout in the Muslim-majority and Indian occupied territory, the European Parliament strongly blamed India and condemned the BJP-led government for its ferocious move that has brought the life to standstill in the valley.
The tensions in a disputed territory escalated after India’s unilateral move by the BJP-driven government to overrule a 7 decades-old rule that gave the power of autonomy to the occupied and disputed Muslim-majority region of Kashmir, followed by massive deployments of troops in an occupied valley and prolonged curfew.
Later, Genocide Watch in its alert issued early warnings of crisis which include prior genocidal massacres and the continuing impunity for such killings in the occupied valley.
Raising their voice for the oppressed Kashmiri people, the Members also demanded India to initiate talks with Pakistan, mentioning that the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament should issue a reactionary statement on the Kashmir crisis as soon as possible.
On Sunday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the Europe should play its crucial role in sorting out the Kashmir issue.
“The European Parliament is expected to deliberate on the Modi government’s illegal actions in the Indian occupied Kashmir and raise voice against the human rights violations in the disputed territory,” Qureshi said.
The EU meeting took place despite Indian efforts to get it canceled as Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Brussels on Saturday to share dialogues with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. He reportedly tried to put an end on efforts to raise the issue of Kashmir in the European Parliament, but faced denial from the EU officials.