Influenced UN’s report on 'human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir’, claims Pakistan-origin scribe

NEW DELHI: A Pakistani-origin journalist Zafar Bangesh, based in Canada, has claimed that the UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, was in constant touch with him while preparing the controversial report on human rights situation in J&K which was rejected by India. While speaking at a conference on Kashmir in Mississauga Canada recently, Bangesh said: “I can say it to you, and I say it with all humility, but with great pride, that we, ‘The Friends of Kashmir’, also have a role in the production of this report. In fact, I had personal correspondence with the high commissioner for human rights, email correspondence in which he responded to my personal letter and email saying he would like to have access to both sides of LoC.”

Bangash admitted to lobbying with officials in Islamabad for facilitating a visit of the high commissioner and his representatives to PoK. “I responded to him after speaking to the foreign office spokesperson in Pakistan, Nafees Zakaria, who used to be the consul general in Toronto and he assured that Pakistan would welcome the high commissioner and the representatives,” he claimed.