Sharif deplores killing of Hizbul commander Wani

Islamabad: Under attack for remaining “silent” over the violence in Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif deplored “excessive” force against civilians in the latest wave of violence while expressing “deep shock” over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Sharif, who recently returned from London after an open-heart surgery, released a late night statement condemning the action of the Indian security forces in Kashmir.

“The Prime Minister of Pakistan has expressed his deep shock at the killing of Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani and many other civilians by the Indian military and paramilitary forces,” Sharif’s office said in the statement.

The Prime Minister said it was “deplorable that excessive and unlawful force was used against the civilians” who were protesting against the killing of Wani.

“Oppressive measures such as these cannot deter the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir from their demand of exercising their right to self-determination in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions,” he said.

Expressing concern over the detention of Kashmiri separatist leaders, Sharif said India should fulfil its human rights obligations as well as its commitments under the United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The death toll in the clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir mounted to 23, as normal life remained paralysed for the third day on Monday due to curfew-like restrictions.

Most of the separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malek, are either in custody or under house arrest.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has alleged that “Sharif-Modi friendship” was causing “irreparable damage” to the Kashmir issue.

Coinciding with Sharif’s statement, the chairman of Pakistan’s main opposition party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari blamed the prime minister for damaging the cause of people of Kashmir.

In a statement the Pakistan People’s Party leader alleged that “friendship” between Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “is causing irreparable damage to the Kashmir cause.”

“While Muslims celebrated Eidul Fitr across the world, our Kashmiri brethren marked the day of festivities amid violence carried out by the Indian army,” Bilawal said in his statement.

He accused Sharif of damaging the foreign policy by giving his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi a “certificate of friendship”.

“Sharif is jeopardising the Kashmir issue by building his association with the Indian prime minister,” he said.

The PPP leader said that “such aggression by Indian authorities has exposed the sham democracy prevailing in India.”

Reacting to Bilawal’s remarks against the prime minister, federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that the PPP leader “should not hurl stones at others while sitting in a glass house.”