The Washington Democrat meets with a group of Kashmiri American constituents and leaders to discuss the situation in Kashmir.
It has been more than two months since the Government of India implemented a security clampdown and communication blockade in Jammu and Kashir.
Now more than 68 days after the region’s special status was revoked, the Kashmir issue remains a topic of discussion everywhere in the United States. Among those who voiced their concern include civil rights activists and members of Congress.
One of the most vocal critics of India’s Kashmir actions has been Indian American Pramila Jayapal, who represents Washington’s 7th congressional district.
The congresswoman met a group of Kashmiri American constituents and leaders on Thursday to discuss the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir. On Friday, in a series of fresh tweets, she urged world leaders to take note of the Kashmir crisis.
Posting a picture of her meeting with the Kashmiri constituents, she tweeted: “It’s long past time for the Indian government to end the communications blackout in Kashmir and adhere to human rights standards.”
She added: “And at the same time, we continue to hear about people being unlawfully detained, hospitals running out of medicine and rising religious intolerance.”
In another tweet she wrote, “Many of them haven’t been able to contact loved ones in the region for two months – and have heartbreakingly learned of illnesses and deaths secondhand.”
This is not the first time that Jayapal has criticized India. In September, Jayapal asked the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to put pressure on India to end the communications blackout in Kashmir.
Jayapal had also said that international media and independent human rights observers must immediately be allowed to visit Jammu and Kashmir so that they could investigate reports of abuse in the troubled region.
She said in a tweet: “I continue to be deeply concerned about credible reports of a humanitarian crisis in Jammu & Kashmir. Even in complex situations, we look to strong democratic allies like India to uphold basic human rights and due process.”