Send fact finding mission to Kashmir: APHC (M) to UN

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

HR Day APHC leaders addressing a joint news conf.

Islamabad, Dec 10: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (M) Pak chapter on Friday urged the international community to play a proactive role to mitigate sufferings of Kashmiris. It asked the United Nations to send a fact finding mission to Kashmir.  
 APHC (M) leaders, including Mehmood Ahmed Saghar, Altaf Ahmed Wani and Faiz Naqashbandi, while addressing a joint news conference here said, “Armed forces are trampling the fundamental rights of Kashmiris. Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most heavily militarized region in the world. Presence of more than half a million army troopers  and paramilitary troops has turned the entire area into a prison.”
 “India’s intransigence and unrealistic behavior has led to the death and destruction in the region,” they said adding that hundreds of Kashmiris have been killed since 1989. “Enforced disappearances, custodial killings, torture and killings of innocent civilians have become an order of the day,” leaders said.
They said that Kashmiri youth were being “targeted” and killed in a very systematic manner. “During the ongoing peaceful movement in Kashmir more than 112 youth were killed by the forces,” they added.
They urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to send a fact finding mission to Kashmir to take stock of the situation. They also urged India to repeal black laws in the valley. They also lauded EU countries for raising their voice in favour of Kashmiris’ fundamental rights.

Protest demonstration

Stagging a sit-in protest in front of UNMOGIP office

Earlier members of both Hurriyat factions staged a joint sin-in, in front of UNMOGIP office in Islamabad and presented a memorandum to the UN officials to seek the role of highest body to mitigate sufferings of Kashmiris. The protest demonstration was attended by the top leaders of both Hurriyat factions and representatives of JKLF and JKLF-R and members of traders’ community.

JI holds photo exhibition on Kashmir

Meanwhile, a photo exhibition, organized by Jammat-e-Islami (PaK) chapter, depicting atrocities being inflicted on Kashmiris was held here on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, the JI chief Abdul Rashid Turabi, Mian Aslam and Bashir Usmani urged the world community to come forward to resolve the Kashmir dispute.  They said that India had usurped the democratic and political rights of Kashmiris by denying them their inalienable right which was guaranteed to them by the world community and the leaders of India and Pakistan.
They regretted that the United Nations and HR organizations were maintaining silence over the plight of Kashmiris.
They also flayed the government of Pakistan and PaK for “having miserably failed in highlighting” the human rights issue at international level
.