Kashmir: steun voor bilaterale besprekingen - en voor actie voor mensenrechten en democratie (en)

In a report adopted on Wednesday, the Foreign Affairs Committee welcomes and encourages bilateral talks between India and Pakistan to find a solution to the Kashmir conflict, while criticising Pakistan for a lack of progress on democracy and human rights.

The own initiative report, drawn up by Baroness (Emma) Nicholson of Winterbourne (ALDE, UK), was adopted with 60 votes in favour to one against with 11 abstentions. It emphasises that the recent "earthquake has had an immense impact on the lives of the Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC)," although "the size and impact of the earthquake had a much greater effect on the Pakistani side." It recommends that the EU consider favourably any further requests for assistance for reconstruction in the area.

The committee welcomed the increase in the number of visas issued for travel between India and Pakistan, as well as the re-opening of truck and bus services, for example on the Srinigar-Muzzafarabad route. It also argued for setting up exchange programmes, including a common University.

Political settlement

The committee says that the "resolution of the continuing conflict along the LoC can best be achieved jointly by a constant engagement between the governments of India and Pakistan, involving the peoples of all parts of the former princely state." It also commends both countries on the peace moves underway, and welcomes the restoration of bilateral talks. The report reaffirms that "all peoples have the inalienable right of self-determination," while pointing to the fact that "the pre-conditions for using the plebiscite have not been met at present."

Human rights and democracy

Stressing that India and Pakistan (along with China) are both important EU partners, MEPs in the committee also noted that "India is the world's largest secular democracy and has devolved democratic structures at all levels," while "Pakistan still lacks full implementation of democracy in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), [...] has yet to take steps towards democracy in Gilgit and Baltistan," and that "President Musharraf has not been able to implement his undertaking made in 1999 that 'the armed forces have no intention of staying in charge any longer than is absolutely necessary to pave the way for true democracy to flourish in Pakistan.'" The report calls on Pakistan to ensure free and fair elections in the AJK, Gilgit and Baltistan.

The report also expresses concern at "documented human rights violations by Pakistan" in Gilgit and Baltistan, and at reports of torture and mistreatment, discrimination, and corruption in AJK. It calls on the Indian government to "put an end to all practices of extrajudicial killings, 'disappearances', torture and arbitrary detention in Jammu and Kashmir," and to establish an independent commission of inquiry into serious violations of human rights by Indian security forces. MEPs in the committee call on both governments to allow international human rights groups access to the region for investigations.