Rehman Malik urges to OHCHR seeking intervention on Kashmir

Islamabad: Former Interior Minister and Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator A. Rehman Malik today on Saturday has written a letter to Ms. Michelle Bachele, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) against continuing human rights violation: continuing curfew in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) for the last 7 months by Indian Forces.

During his press conference Senator A. Rehman Malik made public the letter he wrote to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in which he has urged her to accord serious attention to this blatant and serious violation of Human Rights in Indian Held Kashmir, and to constitute a High Powered Human Rights Committee to visit the IHK to personally see the situation and report it to your good offices and UN.  
The letter is reproduced as bellow:

“I avail the opportunity to refer to your earlier report released on July 8, 2019, that has pointing out the gross Human Rights abuse by the India’s State Security Forces of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK). 

Unfortunately, soon after formal identification of India as a violated of Human Rights in IHK, in an act of gross disregard intimidated the UN and the world, revoked the special Status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and instantly poured in thousands of State Security Forces troops who imposed an instant Curfew, closed down telecommunications and internet services, and indiscriminately arrested innocent political leaders and activists.  Sadly, this violation was conspicuous by the eerie silence of the HR bodies.  

Emboldened by the absence of any condemnation by HR bodies, India refused to allow any relaxation to the peoples of IHK, during the onslaught of the pandemic COVID-19 by rendering these most vulnerable – women and children, people with disabilities, the marginalized, to face the monumental risk of suffering “devastating losses” from the disease.  This tantamount to engineered ethnic cleansing of a whole community, by denying basic rights and protection against the pandemic, in utter disregards to WHO’s instructions and recommendations.  The Indian Army is forcing the Kashmir people to stay indoors and denying them access to medication and other medical support, so critically needed, while these people, including those with vulnerability are being forced to live in most inhuman and unhygienic environment. It has also been reported that many victims of Coronavirus and the poor patient neither can get the treatment nor they can go to see the doctors and their basic right to visit hospital has been usurped.

To add insult to injury, India, in midst of the raging COVID-19 pandemic and sudden lock-down in India, imposed an amendment to the “Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment Act)” of 2010, opening way for obtaining domiciles of IHK by the same very State security Forces and other oppressive instruments of the Modi Government, and maliciously changing its demography. It is recently, that the UN Secretary-General Antönio Guterres, describing pandemic as “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war” appealed for a global ceasefire, since it is crucial to help create corridors for life-saving aid, open windows for diplomacy & bring hope to places among the most vulnerable.  Obviously, and certainly it also includes the locked-down 13-million innocent people of Indian Held Kashmir.

In view of the grave situation, I urge you to accord serious attention to this blatant and serious violation of Human Rights in Indian Held Kashmir, and to constitute a High Powered Human Rights Committee to visit the IHK to personally see the situation and report it to your good offices and UN.  I have already offered services of seven elected members of Parliament including myself, to offer all possible assistance for this noble cause.

Senator A. Rehman Malik strongly condemned the unprovoked firing by Indian Forces along the LoC and Working Boundary. He said that Indian Forces were continuously targeting civilian population with artillery fire and automatic weapons which is sheer violation of international human rights and United Nations laws. He said that Indian Prime Minister Narednra Modi is war-mongering at a time, when the whole world is busy in fighting the pandemic.  He noted that the Modi led Indian government is bent upon intimidating the UN, whose Secretary General Antönio Guterres had while describing the pandemic as “The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war” appealed for a global ceasefire, since it is crucial to help create corridors for life-saving aid, open windows for diplomacy and bring hope to places among the most vulnerable.   He also said that Indian is behind barbaric attack on Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul as India is not happy over the successful Afghanistan peace process. He said that India is bent upon de-stability of the region and sabotaging all efforts towards the peace.

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior Senator Rehman Malik has taken notice of the news in which it has been reported that 115 Million Pakistani Mobile users’ data have been stolen and placed on Dark Web for sale. Reportedly the stolen data includes users’ details, such as full name, complete address, their mobile numbers as well as their NIC number and Tax Number which he termed as highly shocking and alarming.

In notice, Senator A. Rehman Malik has directed Secretary Interior to supervise the investigation by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and NADRA into the matter and submit a consolidated report urgently for the perusal of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior. He has directed that Secretary Information and telecommunication to ensure the report to be submitted to the committee on time. 

He has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to investigate the authenticity of the report and investigate as to how this important personal data has been stolen which is available on a dark website for sale for $2.1 billion. 

He said that reportedly the black web page, stolen data belongs to 115 million Pakistanis and their personal details which includes users’ full name, complete address, their mobile numbers as well as their NIC number and Tax Number which he termed as highly shocking and alarming. He has directed the FIA to investigate as who is the source of supply behind this stolen data and directed PTA to identify the service provider that has leaked the data. He has asked that it should be determined if there is any role of NADRA in it. He has directed that all the concerned authorities who are responsible for releasing this national assets should be identified.Senator A. Rehman Malik said that it is serious issue that a part of our national data is on sale which is a security breach. He said that the culprits should be identified and investigated under the Cyber Crime Act, Official Secret Act and also be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

He said that he has been warning the government for the last one year to build iron curtain to stop the hacking and cyber-attacks.  He has demand the proper security clearance before appointments on key posts and advisors etc. in the IT sector.