ISLAMABAD – The Joint Resistance Leadership in a letter to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has urged him to constitute a Commission of Inquiry to conduct comprehensive and independent international investigation into human rights violations by Indian troops in Occupied Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik in a statement issued in Srinagar asked the UN Secretary General to impress upon New Delhi to stop the gross human rights violation forthwith.
The JRL, as per the letter, also urged him to initiate measures for the resolution of the dispute which is on the UN Agenda since 1948, and is the main cause of all Human Rights violations in occupied Kashmir.
“On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, we hope you and the institution of United Nations will stand up for the protection of human rights everywhere including in conflict torn Kashmir.
This year is the 70th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and today we are again addressing you on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who for the past 70 years have been striving for peace, justice, freedom and dignity,” read the letter.
It continued, “We greatly acknowledge The UN report on the human rights situation in Kashmir detailing the human rights violations and abuses and highlights a situation of chronic impunity for violations committed by Indian forces.”
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In the letter, the Joint Resistance Leadership acknowledged UN’s concern and called for an urgent need to address the past and ongoing human rights violations and abuses and deliver justice for all people in Kashmir, who for seven decades have suffered a conflict that has claimed or ruined numerous lives.”
To focus international attention on the continued and worsening Human Rights situation people of Kashmir decided to peacefully observe December 3 to 9 as Human Rights Week, the leadership informed the UN Chief in the letter.
Referring to the 2018 UN report on rights abuses in Kashmir, the leadership said, “One of the most dangerous weapons used against protesters in 2016 and which is still being employed by Indian forces is the pellet-firing shotgun.”
“These fire pellets since then have affected 16,000 people in Kashmir and blinded hundreds permanently, the youngest being 18-month-old Hiba who has lost her vision in one eye. Hundreds have suffered serious damage in liver and intestinal region due to pellets. 14% of pellet gun victims in Kashmir are below 15,” read the letter.
The leadership wrote that the conflict has consumed hundreds of thousand lives in J&K. “As we write to you, yesterday on December 09, 2018, two teenagers Mudasir Ahmed Parrey and Saqib Bilal Sheikh aged 14 and 17 respectively from Hajin area of Bandipora district, were killed, seven houses blown up with mortar shells or improvised explosive device (IED).”
The letter concluded with, “Sir, the conflict on Kashmir is not a frozen one but continues to consume human lives unabated since its beginning in 1947 and has become the cause of horrendous human rights violations against the population of the area.
We urge you to urgently establish as proposed by the OHCHR a UN commission of inquiry to conduct comprehensive and independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir to end the cycles of violence and ensure accountability for past and current violations and abuses, and provide redress for victims and to press upon New Delhi to stop the gross human rights violations forthwith.
We also urge you to initiate measures for the resolution of the dispute on Jammu and Kashmir which is on UN Agenda since 1948 and is the main cause of all human rights violations in Jammu & Kashmir.”
