Senate chairman cancels UAE visit as Modi honoured amid Kashmir crisis

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani cancelled an official visit of his parliamentary delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured on his recent tour to the Gulf nation amid the crisis in occupied Kashmir.

Sanjrani was scheduled to visit the UAE from August 25 to August 28 on the invitation of the UAE government. His delegation was to hold meetings with the UAE parliamentarians and government officials.

The Senate chairman, however, decided to cancel the trip as Pakistan vehemently supports Kashmiri peoples’ right to freedom from Indian occupation and condemns India’s atrocities in the occupied valley, a statement from the Senate Secretariat said.

Modi was awarded the UAE’s highest civilian honouron Saturday, as a human rights crisis brews in occupied Kashmir with the Indian government continuing its clampdown in the disputed territory. The Indian prime minister was conferred the award at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi during his first visit to the UAE capital after winning the recent elections.

Indian forces meanwhile continued their lockdown of occupied Kashmir for the 21st day on Sunday, after India withdrew Article 370 of its constitution that gave a special status to the disputed territory.

Indian authorities continued to impose strict curfew and other restrictions across the valley, preventing Kashmiris from holding demonstrations against the occupation and end of the special status for Jammu and Kashmir