Islamabad, (Parliament Times) : Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that the crisis in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is so deep that calling the actions of the Indian occupation forces human rights violations is merely a euphemism as the 900,000 troops, there are committing brutalities, genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimes.
The President made these remarks while interacting with Chief Justice (retd.) Ali Nawaz Chohan, former Chief Justice of Gambia and the current Chairman of the Legal Forum for Oppressed Voices of Kashmir (LFOVK), who called on him here in Jammu and Kashmir House
Chief Justice (retd.) Ali Nawaz Chohan apprised the AJK President of the activities of LFOVK and how this organisation is, within the periphery of the UN Charter, and the 2018 and 2019 reports of the Human Rights Commission, working on the legal dimensions of the Kashmir issue.
Mr. Chohan said that LFOVK has approached the UN Secretary-General UN under Article 99 of the UN Charter and will inform the Secretary General’s office of the carnage taking place in IOJK. He added that while India continues to commit war crimes in the occupied territory, the international community is silent and not responding. He said that his organisation will continue to expose the true face of India.
Masood Khan while paying his tribute to Chief Justice (retd.) Chohan, said that over the years, his illustrious career and proven legal expertise would be able to fill the gap and address the legal dimensions of the Kashmir dispute. He said that LFOVK has established itself as a new portal and important platform for protecting the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The President said that the outreach of Mr. Chohan to the UN Secretary-General and the leadership in Geneva is commendable. He added that in this environment, awareness-raising and advocacy by LFOVK is of critical importance and their efforts have given an added context for the protection of human rights and the exercise of the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people.
“The world must intervene before it’s too late. Demographic change in IOJK is taking place at a rapid pace. These steps are in violation of the UN resolutions, international law and conventions”, he said.
The AJK President said that we must have talks on Kashmir but the key is to include Kashmiris in the talks. Any and all talks, he maintained, should take place under the auspices of the United Nations and the in line with the resolutions passed by the Security Council on Jammu and Kashmir. He added that the legality of the whole issue stems from the fact that the people of Kashmir are a key party to the dispute and it is the Kashmiris that have to decide their political future,
Chief Justice (retd.) Chohan also presented a book about the life and struggle of Kashmiri born US-based businessman Farooq Kathwari.