Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad return from Srinagar, at IGI airport in New Delhi, on August 24 | PTI
The Congress on Wednesday issued a statement on a letter from a minister in Imran Khan's government to multiple UN officials that referred to Rahul Gandhi's statements on Jammu and Kashmir.
Shireen M. Mazari, minister for human rights in the Imran Khan government, on Tuesday issued a letter to multiple UN officials, listing Pakistan's complaints about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.
My detailed letter to 18 UN Special Procedures mandate-holders on violations of international human rights law by the Government of India in IOK. pic.twitter.com/kWyuop6pS1— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) August 27, 2019
Page six of the eight-page letter refers to a statement by Rahul that people were "dying" in Jammu and Kashmir as “events had gone very wrong there”. Mazari's letter also refers to instances of alleged abuse such as curbs on Eid celebration and violence against children.
The Congress response to the letter came after media outlets had referred to Rahul being quoted in it. Randeep Singh Surjewala, in-charge of communications at the Congress, issued a statement saying the name of Rahul had been "mischievously dragged to justify the pack of lies and deliberate misinformation being spread by Pakistan". Interestingly, Rahul also tweeted on Wednesday morning, condemning Pakistan as the "prime supporter of terrorism" in the world.
INC COMMUNIQUE— INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) August 28, 2019
Statement of Sri. @rssurjewala ,I/C , Communications on the alleged petition by Pakistan in which they have mischievously dragged Rahul Gandhi's name. pic.twitter.com/ifuJJ8R3Vp
The Congress statement affirmed "Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and shall always remain an integral part of India..."
The Congress statement asked Pakistan to answer for human rights abuses in PoK, Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan. The Congress noted that "almost every terrorist organisation thrives in Pakistan under political and military patronage—be it Lashkar e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed..."
Shireen Mazari's letter
Mazari has been among the most visible faces of Pakistan's response to the developments in Jammu and Kashmir.
In her letter to “18 UN Special Procedures mandate-holders on violations of international human rights law”, Mazari brings up statements by BJP leaders, including Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar about the possibility of non-Kashmiris marrying women from Jammu and Kashmir. Mazari even refers to a purported increase in searches on Google in India on “how to marry Kashmiri women” as evidence of “misogyny” in India.
Seeking intervention from the UN, Mazari raised the fear of “ethnic cleansing and genocide”.
This is not the first time Mazari has written a letter to the UN over the developments in Jammu and Kashmir. A week ago, Mazari wrote to UNICEF to remove actor Priyanka Chopra as a goodwill ambassador for allegedly supporting the Narendra Modi government's action in Jammu and Kashmir and even “the nuclear threat issued to Pakistan by the Indian Defence Minister”.
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