Muzaffarabad,(Parliament Times): Speakers at a seminar organized by the Kashmir Policy Research Institute (KPRI) on the occasion of International Women’s Day urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take serious notice of India and its occupying forces using women as a weapon of war in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The speakers stated that women in IIOJK continue to face numerous crimes, including sexual violence, at the hands of Indian security forces. They emphasized that the use of women as a weapon of war in any disputed territory constitutes a grave violation of international law. They further said that since August 5, 2019, India has turned occupied Kashmir into an open human prison, leaving women in an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
The speakers highlighted that, in contrast, women in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are provided constitutional protection. The state has enacted a Women Protection Act, and special centers for women have been established within the police and other institutions. They added that several institutions exist at the state level to ensure women’s protection and to provide them with opportunities for progress.
They noted that women in AJK are actively participating in politics and other fields and are excelling in education. A separate public university for women has also been established in the region.
The seminar was addressed by Director KPRI Dr. Raja Muhammad Sajjad Khan, Dr. Bushra Shams, Naila Altaf Kayani, Samia Sajid, Shagufta Noreen Kazmi, Director Women Development Nusrat Shaheen, Assistant Chief Planning and Development Talat Farooq, Shafaq Malik, Dr. Amina Bahar, Shaista Iftikhar, Sara Rasool, Saira Chishti, Sara Chauhan Advocate, Fiza Ali Zaman Advocate, Abida Khalil Advocate, Tania Butt, Sajida Rafiq, Shazia Awan, and others. A large number of women from different walks of life attended the seminar.
While addressing the gathering, the speakers emphasized that dignity and honor are more valuable than life itself. They stated that women in occupied Kashmir are living under constant fear and terror and are subjected to state oppression and violence. Thousands of women in the region have reportedly become victims of sexual violence by occupying forces.
The speakers described the Kunan Poshpora incident as one of the most horrific examples of brutality by Indian forces. They also highlighted that thousands of women are forced to live lives of “half-widows,” while many mothers continue to search for their forcibly disappeared sons.
They said that women who have suffered violence in occupied Kashmir are neither receiving justice nor legal protection. In contrast, women in Azad Kashmir enjoy equal rights and are freely contributing in every field of life. They noted that women in AJK can move and work freely without fear, whereas women in occupied Kashmir live under constant oppression and intimidation.
The speakers stressed that every individual in Azad Kashmir must raise their voice for the women of occupied Kashmir. They stated that freedom of expression exists in Azad Kashmir, while voices in occupied Kashmir have been suppressed for years. Under such circumstances, they said, it is the responsibility of the people of the Base Camp (Azad Kashmir) to become the voice of their brothers and sisters across the Line of Control.
They further emphasized the need to present factual accounts of the atrocities committed against women in occupied Kashmir before the international community in a united and organized manner. They also stressed that the rights granted to women under Islam should be fully ensured and implemented.
At the end of the seminar, a resolution was passed urging the international community to ensure the release of detained Kashmiri women, including Asiya Andrabi, Fahmida Sofi, and others. The resolution also called for the recovery of forcibly disappeared persons and demanded that Indian occupying forces responsible for sexual violence against women be prosecuted under international war crimes laws.