NEW YORK: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday flew to London on his way back home after five days of intense diplomatic efforts at the United Nations.
He highlighted serious violations of human rights in Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK) and pushed the world powers to implement its resolutions calling for the exercise of the right of self-determination by the Kashmiri people.
Nawaz was seen off at Kennedy International Airport by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi, the Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani and other senior officials of the Pakistan Mission.
In an interaction with Pakistani media on Thursday, the prime minister expressed satisfaction over the progress made by his ‘Kashmir Mission’ that was aimed to secure justice and freedom for the Kashmiri people.
According to UN experts, the prime minister’s effective advocacy of the Kashmir cause was definitely getting through to the international community.
The main feature of his visit was his much-awaited address to the United Nations’ General Assembly – where he shed light on the decades-old Kashmir dispute with high-level delegates from around the world.
Nawaz Sharif called for an international investigation into the killings in Kashmir that now amounted to 108, with thousands more injured along with the 150 victims blinded by pellets fired by the Indian security forces.
The prime minister said on Thursday that he had raised the issue of Indian crimes against Kashmiri people with every leader that he met – including US Secretary of State John Kerry.
He also held meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Saudi Crown Prince Prince Naif, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzi Abe, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his stay.
Nawaz said that it was now the responsibility of the global community to take notice of the Indian atrocities in Held Kashmir. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had already offered to send a fact-finding mission to IHK – a move rejected by India.
