Monday, May 12, 2008, Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1429    

APDP for int’l commission to probe disappearances

Islamabad—The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) has demanded setting up of an international commission to probe all the enforced disappearances in occupied Kashmir.
The demand was made during a protest demonstration held at Pratab Park in Srinagar by the relatives of disappeared persons. The demonstrators said that their fight would continue till they get justice, KMS reported.
The APDP Chairperson, Parveena Ahangar said, “The puppet administration is giving contradictory statements on the issue. They want to dilute the issue by creating confusion and projecting different theories.
Our children were picked up by Indian troops and the administration is responsible for it.” Parveena’s son, Javed Ahmad was arrested by the troopers of Border Security Force in 1990 and later subjected to enforced disappearance.
The APDP legal advisor, advocate Peer Hafizullah said, “India has signed the convention on enforced disappearances, but it’s not ratifying it in the parliament.
Presently we don’t have any law to prosecute the troopers involved in custodial disappearances,” adding, “India doesn’t want to ratify it, as it knows that they have subjected thousands of people to enforced disappearances in the occupied territory.”
He urged India to remove draconian law Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Jammu and Kashmir.—APP