ISLAMABAD : Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has written a letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) president and secretary-general for updating them on the grave situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi updated UNSC on the grave situation in IIOJK including illegal demographic changes, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement today.It highlighted the gross and systematic violations of human rights taking place in the occupied valley along with the threat posed to peace and security by India.

“It focuses, in particular, on the illegal demographic changes being undertaken in the occupied territory by India, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, the UN Charter and international law including the 4th Geneva Convention.”

In the letter, Qureshi apprised UNSC of India’s implementation of an elaborate strategy of military occupation, land confiscation, the influx of non-Kashmiris, and creation of alien settlements in IIOJK.

“As a result of the Indian agenda to convert the Muslim majority of IIOJK into a minority, the indigenous Kashmiris are losing their political and cultural identity, their rightful demographic majority, and ownership of their properties in their own homeland.”

The letter also underscores the indiscriminate and unprovoked ceasefire violations by India across the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB), including the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas.

Over 2,700 ceasefire violations committed by India this year that resulted in the death of 25 innocent people and serious injuries to more than 200 civilians.

The foreign minister has called on the UN Security Council to exercise its direct responsibility to prevent India from perpetrating its criminal colonial project to change the demographic structure of the disputed territory and to secure the implementation of its own resolutions which recognize the Kashmiris’ legitimate right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices.

Qureshi’s letter is part of Pakistan’s consistent efforts to keep the UN Security Council and the secretary-general regularly informed of the serious situation in IIOJK, and to demand resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the council’s resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

ISLAMABAD : Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will visit Lahore today where he will hold important meetings with officials of the provincial government.

During a day-long visit, PM Imran Khan is expected to inaugurate Firdous Market Underpass. The 540-long underpass has been completed with the cost of Rs1.17bn. The project will benefit more than 100,000 people.Furthermore, PM Khan will also hold meetings with Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and members of the provincial cabinet.

The prime minister will also be briefed on the pace of work on the River Ravi project, the new business park as well as progress made on health care.

He will also get a briefing on the steps being taken by the Punjab government to contain coronavirus spread.

During his last visit on October 28, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the concerned authorities to ensure phase-wise provision of health cards across Punjab.

Presiding over a meeting on the distribution of health cards in Punjab, PM Imran Khan had said that the provision of quality health facilities to the masses was the top priority of the government.

DNA

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan welcomed the decree by President Ashraf Ghani for the release of Pakistani prisoners in Afghanistan who have completed their terms but remain incarcerated due to non-payment of fines and those with up to or less than one month remaining in their prison terms.

Pakistan appreciates this humanitarian gesture which will provide relief to the individuals and their families covered by this decision.

Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to continue mutual engagement leading to facilitation and benefits for the people on both sides.

ISLAMABAD, NOV 24 – The PTI is all set to form the government in Gilgit Baltistan after having secured 22 of its 33 seats, according to the official results announced by the region’s election commission on Tuesday.

The PPP and PML-N — both of which have levelled allegations of rigging — hold five and three seats, respectively.

In all, the GB Assembly has 33 seats — 24 of which are contested through directed elections; six are reserved for women and three others reserved for technocrats and professionals. Political parties can nominate their candidates to the latter through proportional representation.

In the elections, the PTI emerged victorious on 10 seats, while seven were won by independent candidates. The JUI and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) won one seat apiece. Six of the independent candidates have joined PTI after the election and the party already had a seat adjustment arrangement with the MWM.

PPP’s GB chapter President Advocate Amjad Hussain was declared as the winner in GBLA-1 and GBLA-4. PPP also won GBLA-24 constituency. The party also got two reserved seats — one for women and the other for technocrats.

PTI’s Fatehullah Khan has been declared as the winner in GBLA-2, despite the constituency’s returning officer’s recommendation that a forensic audit of the ballots should be held. Earlier, unofficial results had indicated that PPP’s Jameel Ahmed would win the constituency with 8,817 votes against 8,200 secured by PTI’s Khan. But the recounting of votes turned the tables.

Yesterday, PPP workers and supporters took to streets to protest against alleged rigging in the constituency. The protest had turned violent following clashes between demonstrators and police and four vehicles and a building of GB’s forest department were torched by unidentified miscreants. Protests against alleged rigging and use of force by police yesterday are also being held today.

In GBLA-3, PTI’s Syed Sohail Abbas was declared as the winner, while GBLA-5 was grabbed by independent candidate Javed Ali Manwa.

GBLA-6 and GBLA-7 were both won by PTI, while GBLA-8 was taken by MWM candidate Muhammad Kazim. Meanwhile, GBLA-9 and GBLA-10 were won by independent candidates.

PTI also won GBLA-11, GBLA-12, GBLA-13, GBLA-14, GBLA-18 and GBLA-20 constituencies.

The ruling party also grabbed four seats reserved for women and two reserved for technocrats.

Meanwhile, PML-N was able to grab GBLA-16 and GBLA-21 and one seat reserved for women.