Brussels
Chairman of Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) Ali Raza Syed has lauded the recent statement of Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the growing grim situation of human rights in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on human rights issues, she said, we are continually monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, where restrictions on communications and clampdowns on civil society activists, remained our concern.
Ali Raza Syed said, the UN’s high commissioner perfectly raised the issue of human rights in occupied Kashmir as she said, the communications blockade has seriously hampered civic participation, as well as business, livelihoods, education, and access to health-care and medical information.
The KC-EU chairman said, it is further reality that Indian authorities also took action against journalists covering protests in occupied Kashmir and committed acts to curb freedom of expression on social media in the disputed land.
He said, India is involved in severe violation of human rights in occupied Kashmir in last seven decades and specially since 5th August 2019 but it is planning now to show the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as a normal.
He said that the disputed territory of Kashmir is currently one of the most heavily militarized regions in the world with some 900,000 police, military and security personnel stationed on the Indian side of the Line of Control.
This enormous number of armed military personnel have been responsible for disappearances, killings, torture of innocent civilians, rape, fake encounters and other grave human rights abuses and these abuses are carried out under the protection of a legal system which deprives Kashmiris of the right to justice and protects the Indian military and paramilitary from suffering the consequences of these increasingly violent abuses of human rights.
He also appreciated recent agreement of Pakistan and India to maintain ceasefire between the two counties as saying we welcome every step toward peace but India should not be allowed to continue crimes against the humanity in occupied Kashmir under the garb of the peace agreements.
Ali Raza Syed called upon the international community to take serious action against the severe situation of human rights in the occupied Kashmir.
He added that there should be a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir problem in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He added, participation of Kashmiris in any likely peace process is essential for a durable solution of the problem.—KMS
