Ambassador Ata Munim Shahid was interviewed by Mr. Tahar Sehailia, Director of International Department of El-Fajar

The Ambassador Ata Munim Shahid was interviewed by Mr. Tahar Sehailia, Director of  International Department of El-Fajar, a popular Arabic Daily in Algeria in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day.

The interview was published on 1^st February 2021. The Ambassador focused mainly on Jammu & Kashmir dispute and massive Human Rights violations in Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. The El-Fajar quoted Ambassador as:

“The Ambassador said that the human rights violations occurring in this region by the Indian forces against the Muslim majority under the eyes of human rights organizations and international bodies should not be tolerated. We strongly condemn them and reject them altogether. Stressing that all forms of oppression, such as freedom of expression, deprivation of rights, violence and torture that reached to children, preventing people from their right to self-determination, preventing the press from covering the catastrophic situation within the region, cutting electricity and the Internet on the population and using pellet guns that cause blindness to Youth and rape of women, it happens every day in the territory of Kashmir, as testified by the reports of many international organizations that protect human rights.

Considering it a just cause (Jammu & Kashmir issue), that must be resolved according to what the UN resolutions call for. Reminding at the same time the United Nations, the European Union and all those who follow this conflict that the territory of Kashmir is located between two nuclear powers, and we do not know what will happen in the future. Stressing in the same context, that the Pakistani government does not want the escalation with India, but rather the right of self-determination for the Kashmiri people through a referendum through which the people decide where they want to go.

It is worth noting that Pakistan has been observing the Day of Solidarity with Kashmir on the 5th of February of every year since 1990’s, as Pakistan shows in this annual event its support for the residents of the disputed northern Jammu and Kashmir regions, which India has controlled since the partition in 1947.

This event provides a platform for an expression of support for Kashmiris residing in one of the most militarized regions in the world, and an opportunity to commemorate those martyred by Indian forces during their illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir since 1948”.

 The Ambassador also spoke about virtual TEXPO, which was held in Pakistan from 1-5 February 2021 and urged Algerian businessmen to register and participate in it.

This isAmbassador’s third comprehensive interaction with Journalists and Arabic Press, the largest in Algeria, within last six months. Earlier the Ambassador’s interviews have been published in Al-Chorouk and El-Hiwar, both Arabic Daily Newspapers.