Preventing father from meeting his daughter serious HR violation: Khan

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, Oct 9: Denouncing New Delhi’s decision  to stop Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik from traveling to Nepal to meet his family, the supreme head of the outfit Ammanullah Khan on Wednesday said that preventing a father from seeing his innocent daughter is “unethical, undemocratic and a serious violation of basic human rights.”
 Addressing a press conference here the JKLF founder said: “Denying travel documents to Yasin Malik and barring him from visiting Katmandu to meet his spouse and 19-month old daughter is a violation of fundamental rights”.
 Khan said that it was astonishing to note that the immigration authorities at Delhi airport asked Malik for passport or election card, whereas there was usually no such binding on passengers to have travel documents or visa to travel from New Delhi to Katmandu (Nepal). He said that Malik presented state-subject certificate and a license to prove his identity but the immigration authorities rejected.
 He said that it was very unfortunate that on one hand the government of India was reluctant to issue passport to the JKLF chairman while on the other Indian High Commission in Islamabad had not taken any decision with regard to the issuance of visa to Malik’s spouse Mishal Malik and his daughter. “Mishal and her daughter Razia Sultana had formally submitted visa-application but till date there has been no official response from Indian High Commission”, he said adding India on one hand claims to be a secular and democratic state while on the other it does not allow a father to meet his innocent daughter.  
 Khan who was accompanied by other JKLF leaders said that Malik was not only one in Kashmir to face such hurdles and difficulties but there were hundreds and thousands of divided families who over the past several decades have not been allowed to see their relatives living on both sides of the line of control (LoC).
 The JKLF founder said that the governments of both India and Pakistan had promised to open up the LoC to let the divided families meet each other but this trans-LoC CBM had now reduced just for bartering onions and potatoes only. He was of the view that these CBMs and the years’ long peace process between India and Pakistan failed to provide any relief to common Kashmiris. “These CBMs proved nothing but a smokescreen to hoodwink international community”, he added.
 He demanded the international community and the world human rights bodies to impress upon India to let a hassle free travel across the line of control (LoC). Terming sufferings of divided families as an offshoot of unresolved Kashmir dispute he said, “The people of Jammu and Kashmir will continue to suffer unless the issue of Kashmir is resolved peacefully in accordance with Kashmiris’ wishes and aspirations”. He said that it was high time that the international community should play its much needed role to settle the issue amicably.
 The JKLF spokesman on the occasion condemned in strong terms the abduction and rape attempt on a mother of three children by Indian troops at Zalangam village of Kokernag. They said that this shameful act was heinous crime against humanity.
Story Published in Greater Kashmir on 2013/Oct/10/