Brussels: (PR) Chairman Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU) Ali Raza Syed has urged the higher authorities of European Union (EU) to pay special attention on the severe situation of human rights in occupied Kashmir.
In this connection, the Chair of KC-EU dispatched a letter to President of European Council Mr Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ms Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen and High Representative of EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Mr Josep Borrell Fontelles on Monday.
The letter said, “With extreme regret on suffering of the whole world from coronavirus, I want to draw your attention towards the critical situation of human rights in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).”
The pandemic of Coronavirus has increased the miseries of the people of Indian occupied Kashmir who were already facing hardships due to curfew imposed by the Indian occupation forces for last eight months, the letter added.
In his memo Chair of KC-EU further described, people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir are witnessed of constant siege for last several months and thousands of the political workers are in prisons as the Indian government annulled special status of Jammu and Kashmir and emerged this disputed territory in its direct control since August 2019.
The letter identified that now, under the garb of the pandemic of coronavirus, the Indian authorities in IOK are controlling information about the widespread of the disease in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Information received from the independent sources revealed that number of the infected people from Coronavirus is being increased day by day but medical staff in IOK are advised not to share this information to the media.
Due to the less access to the internet, the activities of the social media are very limited and regular media outlets in the region are also restricted. Less freedom of express and restrictions on free media, exchange of accurate information related to coronavirus crisis is very hard, the letter further supposed.
However the independent sources from IOK said, there is a shortage of medicine for the masses and a lack of basic facilities and protective gears for frontline health workers, doctors and paramedics, who can ensure safety of the people from this dangerous virus.
About India illegal activities in emerging situation of Coronavirus, Mr Ali Raza Syed further said, I want to inform that situation of the human rights in IOK has been more difficult since breakthrough of the Coronavirus.
The letter revealed that in a recent move by exploiting the situation related to Coronavirus, India introduced new domicile rules in the Jammu and Kashmir in order to settle the non-Kashmiris and change demography of the disputed territory. It is gross desecration of international law and particularly it is clear violation of United Nation’s resolutions asking plebiscite for political fate of the whole disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is important that India and Pakistan are obliged not to change demography of the region of Jammu and Kashmir before the plebiscite.
There is a need of special attention of EU on current human rights situation of occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the letter said. EU should stop India from attempting to change demography of the disputed region, Chairman Kashmir Council Europe urged.