Apropos to the deteriorating situation in India-occupied Kashmir, the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir is currently a prison and under military control. Four prominent Indian civil society activists, who visited the Kashmir Valley for five days between 9th to 13th August, on their return to New Delhi while addressing a press conference said that the Indian authorities had converted the Valley into a big prison. They said that the Indian media’s claims of occupied Kashmir being peaceful were grossly misleading.
On the other hand, the authorities continued to impose strict curfew and other restrictions across the Kashmir Valley on the 13th straight day, today, to prevent people from gathering. Millions of Kashmiris have been deprived of their liberties and fundamental rights during all these days. They have been stripped off all their rights. Internet broadband, telephone lines and TV channels continuously remain snapped. The occupied territory remains cut off from the rest of the world.
People are deprived of essential commodities like baby food and life-saving medicines. No access is given to patients to hospital and the territory is giving the picture of a humanitarian crisis. Kashmiris, all across the world, observed the Indian Independence Day as Black Day to convey the message to the international community that they reject India’s illegal occupation of their motherland. The Black Day was also observed to register strong protest against the Indian unilateral action to change the disputed status of occupied Kashmir.
AFIA AMBREEN
Rawalpindi
