Jammu
The Chairman of Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU), Ali Raza Syed has said that the United Nations in its recent report has exposed bitter facts concerning real existing situation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
In his recent report, a UN human rights official has called the communications blockade imposed by India in occupied Kashmir as the “most prominent and long-term internet shutdown” in the world, saying it restricted expression and other fundamental rights, especially since the outbreak of coronavirus.
“In 2019, the Government imposed what several mandate holders found to be ‘a form of collective punishment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, without even a pretext of a precipitating offence’,” David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said in a report. He was referring to the unleashing of tough measures by India on August 5, when New Delhi unlawfully annexed the disputed Kashmir region.
Welcoming the UN report, Ali Raza Syed said, India cannot hide the facts about its repression in occupied Kashmir as international community understands the situation.
“Early in 2020, the Supreme Court of India found that the Government must periodically justify its continuing actions in Kashmir, but even as of this writing, reporting suggests that people in Kashmir are only able to access limited Internet sites and with extremely limited speeds,” Kaye wrote. “It has been reported by healthcare professionals in Kashmir that the limitations imposed by the Government have made access to basic information difficult to obtain.”
The report, entitled: “Disease pandemics and the freedom of opinion and expression”, will be submitted to UN Human Rights Council.
Ali Raza Syed urged the international community to take action in light of the UN’s fresh report. Indian atrocities should be stopped and people of Jammu and Kashmir should be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination for their political fate in a free environment.
The KC-EU Chairman also condemned recent firing by Indian forces on the people of Azad Kashmir residing near line of control (LoC). He asked the international community to take serious notice of the situation at the LoC.
Ali Raza Syed appreciated a recent report issued by a US’ commission on freedom of religion, which declared India as dangerous country for the religious minorities.
The report said, attacks on the minorities increased in India in 2019. The commission also criticized judgement of Indian Supreme Court about Babri Mosque and also disapproved annulment of special status of Jammu and Kashmir by the India government.
He said, people of Jammu and Kashmir are suffering from the Indian brutalities for above seven decades and these tyrannies increased since August last year when Indian revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Besides, the Kashmiris, the minorities in the different Indian states are not safe from the state terrorism of the present Indian government.—KMS
