Toronto
The speakers at a seminar in Toronto, Canada, have urged India to immediately lift the inhuman military siege on the 8 million people and stop all human rights violations in the occupied territory.
The seminar was organized by the Friends of Kashmir, Canada, in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day to show solidarity with the Kashmiris and raise voice against Indian brutalities in the territory.
The speakers in their addresses called upon the Indian government to withdraw all its troops including Armed Constabulary from Kashmir, particularly from cities, towns and villages to enable resumption of normal life and create conducive environment for the plebiscite to be held under the auspices of the UN as enshrined in the UNSC resolutions on Kashmir.
They also urged the United Nations and other relevant forums to investigate all massacres, gang-rapes, fake-encounters, forced disappearances, and willful blinding using pellet guns, committed by the Indian forces and Hindu terrorist organizations like the RSS, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The speakers requested the world powers, especially the Government of Canada, to exert pressure on India to ensure its compliance with international obligations flowing from humanitarian and Human Rights Law as well as UN resolutions and until such compliance, India should be subjected to trade sanctions.
They also urged human rights organizations and peace and justice activists to cooperate with the Friends of Kashmir, Canada, to establish an Independent War Crimes Tribunal to prosecute Indian rulers for war crimes.
Following is the resolution adopted by the participants at the seminar: Noting the ongoing grave human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir, in particular, since India’s unilateral abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution on August 5, 2019 that abolish Kashmir’s autonomy and open the floodgates to illegal settlers from outside Kashmir; Noting the dangerous situation that has arisen as a result of India’s illegal actions that could lead to a nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan with catastrophic consequences for the region as well as the world at large; Noting India’s defiance of calls by human rights organizations, including the five UN Special Rapporteurs expressing grave concern about the human rights situation arising out of the ongoing lockdown of 8 million Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Kashmir, Condemning the denial of basic needs of the Kashmiris including access to food and medicines as well as freedom of movement and freedom to worship; Condemning the use of pellet guns by Indian occupation forces to willfully blind a whole generation of Kashmiris, mostly youth, in the thousands; Recalling UN Security Council Resolutions on Kashmir [Res. 38, 39, 47, 51 (1948); 80 (1950); 91, 96 (1951); 98 (1952); 122,123, 126 (1957); UNCIP Res. (13 Aug 48, 5 Jan.49) that, inter alia, promised Kashmiris their right to self-determination; Underscoring that the UN has a responsibility towards stopping the Kashmiris’ systematic genocide by Indian occupation forces; Noting with deep concern India’s policy to systematically change the demography in Indian Occupied Kashmir to convert the Muslim majority into a minority; Expressing deep concern on the arbitrary arrest of over 13,000 Kashmiri youth with their fate unknown; Recalling the massacres committed in IOK by Indian occupation forces between 1990 and 2018; Noting India’s blatant violation of UNSC Resolutions on Kashmir, the UN Charter and International Humanitarian Laws; Whereas the human rights situation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir under Indian occupation continues to deteriorate; Whereas the culture of impunity has continued as per the June 14, 2018 and July 8, 2019 reports of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Whereas India maintains an occupation force of more than 900,000 troops in Jammu and Kashmir; The speakers included Abdul Hameed, Consul General of Pakistan in Toronto, Zafar Bangash of Friends of Kashmir, Wajid Hashmi, Deputy Consul General of Pakistan, Michaela Lavis, Master’s Student at York University specializing in Kashmir, Ken Stone, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War, Karen Rodman, Director, Just Peace Advocates, Phil Taylor presents the popular Radio Talk Show, The Taylor Report on CIUT FM Radio, Ali Mallah, former Vice President of Canadian Arab Federation, Huriya Khawaja, student from Kashmir, James Clark with Toronto Coalition to Stop the War. Balkar Singh, Member of the Sikh community, Ovais Iqbal, presents his own TV program, Akbar Waraich, President of PTI in Toronto, Tassadaq Hasni and Zakia Ghazala.—Agencies
