Islamabad: (Parliament Times) While expressing serious concerns over the prevailing political and human rights situation in Indian Held Kashmir speakers at a conference here on Tuesday stressed the need for a peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute on the basis of globally accepted principle of right to self-determination.
The seminar titled “Freedom Struggle VS Terrorism†was organized by Kashmir Institute of International Relations [KIIR] and attended among others by Kashmiri leaders hailing from both sides of the Line of Control including , human rights activists, academicians, students, civil society, lawyers and political activists.
During interactive session the panelists discussed in detail the prevailing political and human rights situation in Kashmir with special reference to the changes sweeping across the region. Urging the international community to discharge its legal and moral obligations vis-Ã -vis the peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute, the panelists on the occasion said that world community must shun its policy of indifference and play a active role to settle the long-pending dispute that happens to be the bone of contention between the two nuclear neighbours India and Pakistan.
They said that Kashmiris have been fighting for their legitimate right, which was guaranteed to them by no less an authority than the United Nations. Terming Kashmiris’ decades’ long struggle as a legitimate and indigenous freedom movement they said that it was incumbent upon the world community to differentiate between legitimate freedom struggle and terrorist movements. Linking Kashmiris’ freedom struggle to terrorism they said would be a travesty of justice.
Regarding the genesis of Kashmir conflict, they said that Kashmiri issue is primarily a political dispute about the Right of Self-determination of the millions of Kashmiris. They observed that the globally accepted right of self determination happens to be the cardinal principle of the United Nations Charter.
The principle deemed as essence of the charter they said has been applied countless times to settle international disputes. They said that the right to self-determination has been guaranteed to the people of Kashmir by no less an authority than the united nations. Over a dozen resolutions adopted by the highest body [the UN] on Kashmir lend credence to Kashmiris’ struggle, which they said could not be daubed or linked to terrorism on the whims and fancies of Indian State and its baseless propaganda.
Citing Indian rulers’ commitments they said that it was India that took the issue of Kashmir to the United Nations. “History bears testimony to the fact that India after agreeing to hold plebiscite in Kashmir backtracked from his earlier commitmentsâ€, they said adding that instead of paving a way for peaceful settlement of Kashmir “India has been conducting systematic, deliberate and targeted attacks on civilian population to break the will of Kashmiris who have lost generations after generations in fighting a battle against the occupying powerâ€.
“India’s direct and deliberate attacks against the Kashmiris civilian population and properties, constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights lawâ€, they said adding that every word and every sentence of the UN Charter and Geneva Convention was being violated by Indian forces in “occupied Kashmir†by unleashing rein of terror.
Kashmiris, they said, were the worst victims of state terrorism and systematic state sponsored terrorism. Citing the simmering situation in Kashmir they said that India has turned the entire Kashmir valley into a virtual prison by imposing restrictions on the media and the movement of the people in the region.
They said that India that claims to be the world’s largest democracy has usurped the fundamental rights of Kashmiris and the legal status of Indian army in the disputed territory is that of an occupying force. In order to kill the voice of dissent in the region they said that occupation forces have wreaked havoc in the region by killing and blinding innocent protesters. “India has always tried to terrorize the peaceful struggle of Kashmirisâ€, they said. Now that India has failed to subdue Kashmiris they said India in collaboration with its allies was trying to malign Kashmiris’ freedom movement by labeling Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorist.
They said that there was dire need to counter India’s narrative at international level. “The Indian narrative is based on deceit and deception whereas Kashmiri people are engaged in a just and legitimate struggle, which is accepted and acknowledged by the international community as well as the governments of India and Pakistanâ€.
Of those who spoke on the occasion included Sardar Amjad Yousuf the Director of KIIR, APHC leaders Altaf Hussain Wani, Kashmiri journalist Maqsood Muntazir, Lateef Ahmed Dar, Sheikh Badrudin Tahir, Shaista Safi, Ms. Sidra, Dr. Kousar Ali and several others.