EFSAS delegation at the European Parliament in Brussels
24-05-2018
EFSAS held a meeting at the European Parliament in Brussels with Mr. Paul Diegel, Head of Office of Mr. Klaus Buchner, Member of the European Parliamentary Committees on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and on Security and Defence. Yoana Barakova (Research Analyst) and Dušan Vejinović (Senior Research Analyst) deliberated upon the serious negative ecological repercussions for the region of Jammu & Kashmir resulting from the 70-year-old military warfare between India and Pakistan. They further explicated how the advent of terrorism has led to the melting of the Himalaya glaciers, massive deforestations, air pollution and water contamination, stemming from the establishment of military bases, dumping of non-biodegradable waste and toxic residue. EFSAS described how the disposal of arms and ammunition in different ecological zones on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) has had ill effects on the health of the land and the biological diversity of the region.
Ms. Yoana Barakova with Mr. Paul Diegel at the European Parliament in Brussels
Furthermore, the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was discussed regarding the necessity of safeguarding the human rights of the indigenous people from the disputed region of Gilgit Baltistan (part of Jammu & Kashmir), through which the infrastructural development passes. Mr. Paul Diegel further invited EFSAS to offer its expertise including policy advice and analysis regarding issues pertaining to the ecological equilibrium of the region of Jammu & Kashmir.
