ISLAMABAD: Pakistan welcomes Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s statement on Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK), Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said in a statement on Thursday.
Ayatollah Khamenei on Monday had urged his country’s judiciary to extend support to the “oppressed” Muslims of Kashmir.
Zakaria said the Muslim Ummah is worried about the human rights violations in IOK by Indian forces, adding that the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has also denounced atrocities in IOK.
Commenting on the recent inclusion of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in the Global Terrorist Watchlist by the US government, the FO spokesperson termed it an ‘unjustified’ action.
Zakaria also termed US Senator John McCain’s recent visit to Pakistan as positive, saying the republican senator, who heads the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, “praised Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism, Taliban and other militant networks”.
The FO spokesperson claimed the remaining Taliban have escaped to Afghanistan. He added that the ‘Haqqani Network’ operates out of Afghanistan, not Pakistan and that many leaders of the group have been killed in Afghanistan.
A crackdown has been launched in IOK ahead of the first death anniversary of martyred freedom fighter Burhanuddin Wani.
Internet services have been suspended once again in the valley, while Hurriyet leaders Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Syed Ali Gilani were put under house arrest while Yasin Malik was arrested by the Indian forces.
