Islamabad
Kashmiri delegation while virtually attending the 46 session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, has informed the Council that the journalists who report with honesty and professional integrity are hounded by the occupation authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Taking part in the debate held under the agenda Item 5 the representative of World Muslim Congress (WMC), Altaf Hussain Wani highlighted the nefarious designs of India in IIOJK and said that journalists who report with honesty and professional integrity face state repression in the territory.
“Ms. Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, while updating the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council, was also critical of action taken by Indian authorities against journalists and human rights defenders covering to curb freedom of expression and their cooperation with UN mechanism,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, representative of the International Action for Peace & Sustainable Development Sardar Amjad Yousaf Khan slammed India for abusing and harassing journalists in IOK, and sought the highest body’s attention towards the continued acts of intimidation and reprisal against journalists, human rights defenders and civil society members who cooperate or seek cooperation with the United Nations, its mechanisms and special procedures. Mr. Khan urged the states to cooperate with the UN mechanism to improve the human rights situation.
Citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 and the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, 1966, Dr Saira Farooq Shah told the international audience that despite being the signatory of these laws, India does not comply with these International commitments.
Ms Shah pointed out that there have been systematic violations of human rights in IIOJK since August 4, 2019 to date.
Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, representative of Community Human Rights and Advocacy Centre, told the council that India does not want the world to know the magnitude of violations that are massive and systematic.
This negation by India has given tremendous rise to massive human rights abuses in occupied Kashmir and encourages reprisals and acts of intimidation.
Kashmiri delegation urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to establish a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.—KMS
