As the world is observing the International Day of Families, on sunday, the miseries and victimization of the Kashmiri families at the hands of Indian troops and police personnel continue unabated in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a report released by the Research Section of the Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of the International Day of Families, today, Jammu and Kashmir, being the most militarized zone in the world, has witnessed killings, enforced disappearances, torture cases, rapes and other brutalities by the Indian forces over the three decades. More than 8,000 vanished only in the custody after they were arrested by the Indian troops, police and paramilitary forces during cordon and search operations and house raids since 1990.
The report revealed that thousands of families of victims of enforced disappearances have been working tirelessly to trace their missing ones. Also the families of those the disappeared people suffer economically because in most cases, the breadwinner of the family is targeted.
The report said that thousands of Kashmiris, including over a dozen women leaders, Aasiya Andrabi, Naheeda Nasreen, Fehmeeda Sofi and Insha Tariq Shah were facing illegal detention inside Kashmir jails and in infamous Tihar Jail in India. They are being victimized only for representing the Kashmiri people’s righteous demand and aspirations.
The cruel practice of Indian troops, paramilitary and police personnel under black laws have given rise to tension, harassment, atrocities and injustice, which are now common phrases used in Kashmir.
The impunity provided to the troops and police personnel through draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Areas Ac, Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act gave them the licence to kill, arrest and harass the people and ransack their possession without being questioned and the tragedy is that the burden of proof is shifted on the victims.
Meanwhile, Hurriyat leaders and human rights activists, including Bashir Ahmad Butt, Zamrooda Habib, Yasmeen Raja, Shabbir Ahmad Dar and Jameel Ahmad Mir, in their statements in Srinagar expressed solidarity with the members of the families of illegally detained Hurriyet leaders, activists and youth, who are facing illegal detention and injustice.
They appealed to the International Day of Families to the world community to support the victim families.—KMS
