Pakistan summons Indian envoy over reported killing of prisoner under ‘mysterious circumstances’ in Indian administered Kashmir.
ISLAMABAD, Oct 28 (Asia Free Press): Pakistan has lodged a “strong” protest to India over extra-judicial killing of a Pakistani civilian prisoner in a fake encounter in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
According to a statement by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, Indian charge d’affaires in Islamabad was summoned to the ministry and told that the reported killing of Pakistani prisoner Zia Mustafa, who had been in Indian custody since 2003, under “mysterious circumstances” was not only “intriguing” but also raised serious questions about the well-being, safety and security of Pakistani prisoners in India.
“Regrettably, this is not the first such incident. In the past as well, Pakistani civilian prisoners in India have been found dead under inexplicable circumstances. Pakistan reiterates its condemnation of the dastardly Indian practice of extra-judicial killing of Pakistani and Kashmiri prisoners in fake encounters,” its said.
Pakistan urged the Indian government to urgently authenticate this particular incident, undertake a credible and transparent investigation into it, ensure justice, and hold the perpetrators to account.
The Indian Government was further reminded to fulfill its obligations to ensure safety, security and humane treatment of all Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails/detention centres pending their release or repatriation, according to the statement.
Last week, Indian forces killed a Pakistani prisoner Zia Mustafa in a fake encounter in Poonch area of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Mustafa’s family, he was arrested by Indian troops in 2003 when he was 15 year old and had mistakenly crossed the Line of Control (LOC) as his village, in Pakistan administered Kashmir also known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, is located along with LOC and that time there was no fencing at the de facto border.
However, he remained in illegal custody of the Indian government for 18 years and his formal arrest showed by the Indian government in March 2003 after 24 Kashmiri Pandits allegedly killed by unknown gunmen in Anantnag District of Southern Kashmir.
During the trial, Indian authorities also failed to provide any evidence against his involvement in any attack in Indian Occupied Kashmir.
However, after failure to provide any evidence in the court, last week Indian occupational forces brought him out from prison and shot dead in a fake encounter in Poonch area of Kashmir, according to his family.
Fake Encounters in Kashmir
In a recent dossier released by the Pakistani government revealed the involvement of Indian forces in fake encounters in the disputed valley where India has deployed nearly a million troops from several decades to oppress the freedom movement in the disputed region.
Over 80 major fake encounters have been carried out by Indian occupational forces during last 20 years and killed over 160 innocent Kashmiri people, according to the dossier.
