America Hurts Its Standing By Ignoring India’s Rights Record
India Is World’s Only Democracy
With Mass Graves

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—This year’s Indian Republic Day has become more controversial with the participation of the President and the First Lady of the United States. American values of freedom and liberty have a special place in world history and continue to inspire millions around the world. But President Obama’s embrace for India without uttering a word on New Delhi’s dark human rights record has hurt America’s standing and its ability to convince the world on moral grounds in the future.

India’s army, whose soldiers passed in front President Obama during the parade in New Delhi, is involved in massive human rights violations in Kashmir. It is no exaggeration that the guards of honor might have included soldiers who served tours of duty in Indian-occupied Kashmir and might have been involved in sexual harassment and rapes. India’s army is involved in the highest number of cases of rapes and sexual harassment in the world, according to Indian and international human rights groups.

While President Obama attended the Republic Day parade in India, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Kashmir requires urgent attention and resolution. It is a call that India has to heed for peace and stability in the region. New Delhi has a proven track record of avoiding the resolution of Kashmir in the hope of annexing the territory permanently. In seven decades, India has failed to achieve this objective. There is little indication that India will succeed in the future. So, the only alternative for India is to enter into serious peace talks with Pakistan and Kashmiris to resolve Kashmir issue in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

YFK, Pakistan’s largest, youth-led, pro-Kashmir lobbying group, calls on India to stop state repression in Kashmir, withdraw the army, stop harassing pro-freedom activists and start creating an environment conducive to the eventual implementation of UN-supervised plebiscite to determine the future of the territory.

The YFK is a grassroots lobbying group led by young Kashmiris and Pakistanis working to ensure justice to Kashmiris living under Indian military occupation.