Geneva
Lambasting the Indian government for committing gross human rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the representatives of reputed international human rights watchdogs have urged the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to conduct a comprehensive independent investigation into allegations of human rights violations committed by Indian forces in the territory.
Taking part in the debate in the ongoing 45th session of the UNHRC held under the agenda item 3 in Geneva, the representative of World Muslim Congress (WMC), Professor Mehmath Shakru Guzel, said, “Kashmir problem is a problem of decolonization and for this there is no need Kashmir to be in the list of decolonization of the UN General Assembly resolution 66 of 14 December 1946.”
He said, since India had defined Kashmir problem is under Article 73 of the UN Charter in 1947, Kashmir becomes not only the object of international concern but as well under the erga omnes responsibility for all the member states and the bodies of the UN.
He maintained that it was time the UNHRC should express its concern over the conduct of the government of India on the concerns raised by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in its past two reports and the current updates.
Speaking on the occasion, representative of the Muslim Women Union, Warda Najum, and representative of community human rights and advocacy center, Eman Gilani, sought the UNHRC’s attention towards the gross human rights violations in IIOJK.
Citing the reports by different international human rights groups, Ms Najum told the international audience that sexual violence has been used as a weapon of war in IIOJK. “The reports pointed out that thousands of women are among 95,630 Kashmiris, killed by Indian military, paramilitary, and police personnel since January 1989 till date,” she said, adding that at least 672 women have been killed by Indian troops since January 2001 alone.
She said that the unabated Indian state terrorism had rendered 22,915 women widowed during the last thirty one years.
“Thousands of women have lost their sons, husbands, fathers and brothers in the occupied territory who were subjected to custodial disappearance by Indian police and troops,” she added.—KMS
