UN urged to form commission to probe crimes against humanity
By Mumtaz Alvi
ISLAMABAD: The National Parliamentarians Conference on Kashmir on Wednesday, through a declaration, vehemently condemned the ongoing reign of terror, unleashed in Indian in Occupied Kashmir and called on the United Nations to form an independent inquiry commission to investigate and fix responsibility for crimes against humanity in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The declaration, adopted at the end of the day-long conference and read out by Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani, recalled the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognises dignity, equality and inalienable rights as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace, with respect to human rights violations, and subjugation of Kashmiri people in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
The Senate of Pakistan organised the event.
Recalling, reiterating and endorsing Pakistan’s plea to the 42nd Human Rights Council, the declaration titled ‘Islamabad Declaration’ made five demands:
I) Calling upon India to put an end to its reign of terror in the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir by lifting curfew, opening communications linkages, releasing political prisoners, restoring fundamental freedoms and liberties, abolishing inhuman emergency laws; and constituting a commission of inquiry as recommended by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to bring to justice those responsible for human rights violations.
2) Stressing that humanitarian organisations as well as international media should be given full access to Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
3) Demanding India to grant people of Indian Occupied Kashmir their right to self-determination and fulfill its obligations as per the United Nations Security Council Resolutions and various human rights instruments.
4) Urging the Human Rights Council to authorise the Office of the High Commissioner, and the Council’s special procedures mandate holders to monitor and report India’s human rights violations in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
5) Urging national parliaments to send fact finding delegations to the Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir to monitor and report human rights violations.
The conference reiterated Pakistan’s unconditional support to Kashmiri people in their just struggle for right to self-determination and freedom from suppression and Indian subjugation, terming India’s illegal and unilateral actions a blatant breach of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The conference also condemned the serious crimes against humanity, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture, usage of pellet guns and rape by Indian occupation forces and lamented the looming humanitarian crisis in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir where more than eight million Kashmiris remain under curfew and siege, facing deprivation and shortage of basic amenities, food supplies and life-saving medicines, risking the lives of the sick and the wounded;
It denounced imprisonment and house arrest of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s political leadership as well as arbitrary arrest of thousands of Kashmiris; condemning the unprovoked Indian shelling and use of cluster ammunitions on the Line of Control, resulting in loss of precious lives in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir, threatening world peace, stability and order.
Acknowledging the support of international community, UN bodies, human rights groups, EU, OIC, China, Iran and Turkey, and law-makers from US and UK on Kashmir issue; the declaration urged the international community, national parliaments around the world, the IPU, the CPA to take strict notice of all unlawful acts on part of India and demand Indian government to roll back and check its unlawful moves as well as human rights violations and state sponsored terror in the occupied territory for the sake of peace, stability and rule of law in the region.
Earlier, in their speeches, speakers from all political shades, threw full support to the people of Kashmir and urged the world community to play its role from saving the region from the possibility of destabilisation and threat to peace.
President Dr Arif Alvi called the August 05 measures by India as illegal, unconstitutional, inhuman and unethical and said India was waging a war against itself and history. He said the League of Nations and the United Nations afterwards failed to resolve several issues. He added Kashmir issue was a challenge to the world body.
