Pakistan voices concern on India's treatment of Kashmiris
12 February, 2013
ISLAMABAD: Commenting on the execution of Kashmiri leader Afzal Guru by India, Pakistan on Monday reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed serious concern on high-handedness of the Indian government with Kashmiris.
Responding to the recent hanging of Afzal Guru, Foreign Office spokesman said that he would not want to go into details of the trial process; however, he added, "We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir and express our serious concern on the high-handed measures taken by India in the wake of Afzal Guru's execution to suppress the aspirations of Kashmiris by arrests and detention of Hurriyat leaders, curfew, blackout and other coercive means."
Meanwhile, Pakistan demanded of India to lift repressive measures and to release Hurriyat Leaders immediately.
The Indian authorities had confined the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and the veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani, to their residences in New Delhi.
The action was taken to prevent the two leaders from returning to occupied Kashmir and leading demonstrations against the hanging of a Kashmiri youth, Muhammad Afzal Guru, in Indian Parliament attack case.
FO spokesman Moazzam Ali Khan in a statement said, "We are seriously concerned on the high handed measures taken by India in the wake of Afzal Guru's execution to suppress the aspirations of Kashmiris by arrests and detention of Hurriyat leaders, curfew, news blackout and other coercive means".
"We call for the lifting of repressive measures and immediate release of Hurriyat leaders", the spokesman said.
In response to a media question regarding the recent hanging of Afzal Guru, the FO spokesman said that he would not want to go into details of the trial process.
"However, the same was being discussed and debated by the media and the Human Rights organizations" he added.
Despite all this' he observed, "we reaffirm our solidarity with the People of Jammu and Kashmir."
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