News Desk,
BRUSSELS : Prime Minster Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan says India has converted Occupied Jammu and Kashmir into the world’s biggest prison with the ongoing prolonged curfew, communications blackout and illegal detention of Hurriyat leaders and youth.
He was addressing to a Seminar organized by Kashmir Council Brussels titled “Human Rights and Civil Liberties in Kashmir” at EU Parliament on Wednesday.
“Kashmir is heavily militarized zone of the world. There is 1-7 ratio of Occupational forces and civilians in the occupied part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. From Jan 1989 to Oct 31, 2019 in IOJ&K, 95,464 Kashmiris have been killed, 22910 women widowed, 11174 women were raped and 107,780 children orphaned “the premier told.
He said there is complete impunity for perpetrators who have been committing gross and systematic violations of human rights in the held valley. “Instead of civil liberties, India had provided unchecked and unlimited liberty to her forces for indiscriminate killings and molestation of civilians”, Haider said.
Raja Farooq Haider add4ed that human rights situation in occupied Kashmir was analyzed by two reports of the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Both of these reports show the intensity and threshold of human rights violations in IOJ&K.
He said that India has enforced draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA) etc, to provide blanket impunity to her forces on killings, rapes, molestations etc.
“Indian forces are using pellets to disperse peaceful protestors. Since July 2016 due to pellets, 10298 have been injured,147 young people had lost total eye-sight including 17 months old Hibba” PM added.
“In Occupied Kashmir more than ten thousand cases of enforced disappearances were reported in last thirty years, about six thousand unmarked mass graves identified in Six districts and about 150O half Windows registered with association”, the prime minister further told..
AJK premier said that from last three months IOJ&K is under complete siege. There is complete communication blocked, media gag, shortage of food and medicines. Indian government had unlawfully, immorally and undemocratically abrogated Article 370 and 35 – A to change the demography of the state.
He asked the international community that they should question their governments on silence about crimes against humanity in IOJ&K. Whether human rights and humanitarian laws are not applicable in Kashmir?
The Premier invited the International Community to visit Azad Jammu and Kashmir. “We have nothing to hide from international community, we are enjoying all civil liberties and Human Rights in AJK. Pakistani government had empowered the people through 13th Amendment in constitution of AJK, whereas Indian Govt has snatched even identity of Kashmir through constitutional amendment” he added.
Raja Farooq Haider Khan said that people of Jammu and Kashmir are demanding right to self determination, which was promised not only by India and Pakistan but also by international community through various UN resolutions. He said that simmering Kashmir conflict is threat to regional peace and stability.
Mr. Phil Benion MEP, Chairman Kashmir Council EU Ali Raza Syed, Mr. Shafaq Mehmood MEP, Ms .Sadia Mir , former MEP Sajjad Karim. Ms. Zainab Drabu, Ms. Suraiya Siddiqi, Mr.wout Kalei. Journalist (Dutch), and Miss Khaqula Siddiqi also spoke at the occasion