Kashmiri representative Altaf Hussain Wani has said that the extremist policies of India’s apartheid regime have shattered the socio-political fabric of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Altaf Hussain Wani stated this while taking part in a general debate held under agenda item 3 on the sidelines of 55th session of UNHRC in Geneva, today.
Speaking on behalf of the World Muslim Congress, he drew the attention of the Council towards the fast deteriorating political and human rights situation in Indian held Jammu and Kashmir.
He told the world audience that abuse of basic human rights, arbitrary detentions and curbs on freedoms of expression and movement had become a new-normal in Kashmir.
He termed the recent visit of India’s Prime Minister to the valley of Kashmir as an attempt to show a fake-normalcy. He said that besides forcing public servants to participate in Modi’s political rally, people were gathered from different locations and herded to the main venue to ensure a crowd for the prime minister.
Altaf Wani said that Narendra Modi’s visit to Kashmir took place at the time when his right wing extremist party had not only failed in restoring political process but incarcerated political leadership with the fear of public resentment, banned political parties, curbed freedom of expression through application of arbitrary laws, and applied blanket ban on civil society organizations.
“Modi visited a place where access to justice, truth and reparations is a far cry”, he said, adding that the leader of the so-called biggest democracy cherishes the demise of democracy, self-determination and civil and political rights in Jammu and Kashmir.
He urged the UN Human Rights Council to understand the compelling nature of events to carry out comprehensive inquiry and accountability of the arbitrary laws and mechanisms used to torture, discriminate and crush the peaceful resistance of Kashmiris for right to self-determination.—INP
