58 countries joined Pak in asking India to lift restrictions in Kashmir: Imran Khan

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday claimed that 58 countries had joined Pakistan in the Human Rights Council "reinforcing" the demand of the international community on India to lift the restrictions and "protect Kashmiris' rights".

"I commend the 58 countries that joined Pakistan in Human Rights Council on 10 Sept reinforcing demands of the international community for India to stop use of force, lift siege, remove other restrictions, respect and protect Kashmiris' rights and resolve Kashmir dispute through UNSC resolutions," he said in a tweet.

Khan said in the second tweet, "I welcome the EU's call in the Human Rights Council for a peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute in line with UNSC resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements."

Earlier on Tuesday at the UNHRC meeting in Geneva, India firmly rejected Pakistan's allegations, saying a "fabricated narrative" on Jammu and Kashmir has come from "the epicentre of global terrorism" and from a nation, which conducts cross-border terrorism as a form of 'alternate diplomacy'.

India also said that its legislative decisions on Jammu and Kashmir cut the ground from under Pakistan's feet by creating obstacles in its continuing sponsorship of cross-border terrorism and its gory human rights record speaks for itself.

Rejecting Pakistan's propaganda, India said it was an ill-disguised effort to advance its territorial ambitions and that Islamabad's "hysterical statements with false, fabricated narratives" were aimed to politicise and polarise the forum.

The clash occurred after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi claimed earlier in the day that India had transformed Jammu and Kashmir into a largest "caged prison on this planet" by abrogating Article 370 and that human rights were being "trampled with impunity" there.

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