Geneva: A high level Kashmiri delegation led by veteran rights activist Altaf Hussain Wani has stressed the need for establishing an international commission of inquiry into the human rights abuses committed by Indian occupation forces in the UN recognized disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Wani said this while commenting on UNHRC report on human rights violations in IHK during a meeting at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva late Tuesday.
Taking part in the discussion held under agenda Item N. 2 Wani urged the Council to act on the key recommendation of the report to establish an international commission of inquiry into the human rights situation in Kashmir and urge Indian Government to open the territory of Kashmir for international scrutiny.
“World Muslim Congress commends the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and his team at the Office of the High Commissioner, for releasing the first-ever detailed report on Jammu & Kashmir”, the Kashmiri leader said.
“The High Commissioner and his team has given the world a lesson in not letting political complexities stand in the way of doing the right thing”, Wani observed.
“We commend the human rights defender of Indian occupied Kashmir for their cooperation with office of the high commissioner, risking their live due to state reprisals”, Altaf Hussain Wani said.
“Just look at the list of people in Kashmir who have been given new hope”, he underlined.
Wani referred to the countless victims of torture and extra judicial killings by the Indian occupational forces and the victims mass graves across the Indian occupied Kashmir.
“The UN Human Rights Council report recognizes that Jammu & Kashmir is an international dispute and right to self determination of people Jammu & Kashmir is protected under international law and paves the way for an urgent humanitarian intervention in a conflict zone that involves powerful armies and nuclear powers”, Wani said.
Lamenting New Delhi’s negative response over the UN HRC report, Altaf Hussain Wani said “In an unfortunate and particularly cynical response, the Government of India described the report a selection of unverified incidents”.
“Whereas on her part, the Government of Pakistan has welcomed the report and expressed willingness to work with the Office the High Commissioner on report recommendations”, he pointed out.
Wani said that this was an opportune time for this Council to start work toward ending Kashmir Conflict permanently, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
