Geneva: Terming freedom of peaceful assembly and association as a fundamental human right the veteran human rights activist and leader of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Altaf Hussain Wani has said that in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India, in gross contravention to international human rights instruments, has given a freehand to it’s over 700,000 troops to deprive Kashmiris of these rights.
Wani who is heading a 9-member Kashmiri delegation said this while taking part in discussions held under agenda item 3 on the sidelines of 36th session of United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday.
“The peaceful gatherings and marches of Kashmiri people including funeral processions and public prayers are met with brute force. This uninterrupted violence perpetrated is in continuation of decades of military repression and denial of people’s rights. Many people including men, women and children have been subjected to the fatal consequences and permanent disabilities as a result of this indiscriminate use of force and in particular pellet shot gunsâ€, Wani said.
Speaking on behalf of World Muslim Congress Wani said, “Since July 2016, this supposedly non-lethal weapon has injured over 12,000 people, around 1,500 of them in eyes. Over 88 have been injured in both the eyes which rendered them completely visionless for the rest of their lifeâ€.
Referring to the worsening human rights sitation in the disputed territory of Kashmir he said, “Torture, detention, and summary executions, deserve special abhorrence and deterrentsâ€. Demanding an end to the culture of official impunity in Kashmir he said, “If Impunity continues children in Kashmir will continue to be killed and blindedâ€.
“United States and Great Britain denied visa to Narendra Modi for alleged summary executions of hundreds of Muslims in his state of Gujrat – did they pursue this policy once he became the prime minister of Indiaâ€, he asked.
