“Police profiling of Kashmiri students a ploy to ruin their future”
Islamabad: (Parliament Times) Voicing his serious concerns over the prevailing political and human rights situation in Kashmir, the Vice President of Democratic Freedom Party, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar has said that continued bloodbath of innocent youth, oppression and intensified violence at the hands of Indian forces has turned Kashmir into a virtual hell for its residents.
In a statement issued here on Saturday the former APHC convener said that the desperate rights situation in the trouble region merits a prompt action by the United Nations and rights bodies. Flaying the world community’s deafening silence over the sufferings of Kashmiri people, he said that it was quite unfortunate that the so-called champions of human rights, liberty, peace and justice have been watching the macabre game of death dance in Kashmir like that of a silent spectator. Referring to recent incidents of violence in the valley, he said, “How many more sacrifices will it take Kashmiris to awaken the world conscience”. He said that under operation all out (OAO) Indian army has launched a full-fledged war to kill Kashmiri youth where on the other every effort was being made to choke the voice of dissent.
He said that despite India’s repressive policies Kashmiris were rendering sacrifices to secure their political and democratic right guaranteed to them by no less an authority than the United nations. The former convener said that historic low turn out in the recent Municipal polls amply demonstrates that the people in Kashmir were no longer interested in these kind of election dramas. “The people choose to stay away from the polls as they believe that these elections, held under the shadow of gun, are not a solution to their problems they have been facing for last several decades”, Saghar said adding that India, notwithstanding the ground realities, has been holding such kind of farcical poll exercises in the disputed region from time to time to create a false impression at international level regarding the situation in Kashmir.
“Kashmiris’ boycott of so-called local body elections is in fact a peaceful, democratic verdict against India, which at the same time demonstrates their unflinching faith and commitment to achieve their political right, promised to them by United Nations”, he said. He said that it was high time that New Delhi should acknowledge the bitter reality that it can not befool Kashmiris and the international community by staging such kind of election dramas in the region.
Mr. Saghar also voiced his deep concern over what he called the illegal detention of party chairman Shabir Ahmed Shah and other Hurriyat leaders. Demanding urgent release of political prisoners he said that detention of political activists and choking space for peaceful political activities was flagrant violation of international law. He also denounced in strong terms the purported police profiling of Kashmiri students studying out side Kashmir. He said that the continued harassment and unnecessary questioning of students was a deep rooted conspiracy to ruin their future. “The kind of treatment meted out to Kashmiri students in educational facilities out side the state is a deliberate attempt to push them to violence”, he added.
