Kashmir unrest: Pakistan envoy briefs UN High Commissioner on 'human rights violation'

Pakistan on Sunday said that its special envoy on Kashmir met UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and briefed him over the alleged human rights violations on the Indian side of the restive state. Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Special Envoy of the Prime Minister on Jammu & Kashmir and Chairman Standing Committee of National Assembly on Foreign Affairs met Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein as part of Pakistan's efforts to highlight the issue of Kashmir.

Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement that Leghari briefed UN High Commissioner "about the ongoing critical human rights situation in Kashmir, underscoring that the matter was of great concern to all Pakistanis." It said that High Commissioner Zeid thanked the Special Envoy for his visit to Geneva and for briefing him on "the human rights situation."

"He assured the Special Envoy that his office was carefully observing the situation in the area and was in contact with both India and Pakistan in this regard," the Foreign Office said.

The envoy asked the High Commissioner to take concrete measures to immediately end violence in Kashmir. The envoy said that India should fulfil its human rights commitments under the UNSC resolutions and international human rights obligations. 

Leghari is one of 22 envoys appointed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to brief the international community about the situation in Kashmir.