India’s G20 begins amid shutdown in Srinagar

G20 moot in Srinagar ‘violation of UN resolutions on Kashmir’: Bilawal

China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey & others stay away

 Protest demos, rallies held across world against huddle

 

MUZAFFARABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday said holding a G20 countries’ tourism group meeting in Srinagar was a sheer violation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir.

Addressing a special session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, he said the people of Kashmir had been denied of their basic right to self-determination for decades.

He expressed that holding such meeting in the most militarized zone of the world was to prove that normalcy had returned.

Bilawal stated that history cannot be changed and emphasised that his purpose for attending the session was to engage in communication with the people of Kashmir.

He highlighted that the Kashmir issue remains the incomplete agenda of partition of India. Referring to 1947, he expressed that the blood of Kashmiri Muslims was tragically shed during that period.

Earlier in the day, a delegation of refugees hailing from Illegally Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) called on FM Bilawal.

The delegation apprised him of its reservations regarding G20 conference being held in Srinagar. The delegation appreciated the role of the foreign minister with regard to the movement of independence of Kashmir.

It also informed about the brutalities by Indian forces against the refugees coming to Azad Kashmir from IIOJK in 1990.

The issues regarding resettlement of the refugees were also discussed in the meeting.

In SRINAGAR  G20 tourism meeting began on Monday amid shutdown marked by heavy restrictions in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as New Delhi seeks to project an image of normalcy in a region wracked for decades by violence.

Many countries including China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia and Mexico stayed away from the huddle.

Heavy deployment of Indian troops, paramilitary, elite National Security Guard and marine commandos were deployed around the G20 venue on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar.

Shopkeepers mostly from LalChowk, Residency Road, BudshawChowk, Maisuma and other areas of Srinagar were summoned to Indian army camps and police stations, and were directed to open their shops. They were warned of dire consequences for not obeying the order.

However, despite this, most of the Kashmiri business community closed shops to register their protest. Traffic movement was nowhere seen while movement of the locals was restricted. People were asked to stay indoors. Call for the shutdown was given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and supported by other Hurriyat leaders and organizations.

Both China and Pakistan condemned holding the event in the occupied valley.

People across Europe particularly the United Kingdom held protest demonstrations against the G20 meeting in IIOJK. Protesters came out in Glasgow, Bradford, Manchester, Nelson, Luton and Birmingham to condemn the Group’s meeting. Raising pro-freedom slogans, the demonstrators sought immediate cancellation of the meeting.

Massive protest rallies were also held in different cities of Azad Jammu and Kashmir including its capital Muzaffarabad and Kotli against the G20 event. Monitoring Desk