Round-table conference on Kashmir tomorrow

Islamabad

Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights (JKCHR) in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations has organised a round-table conference tomorrow (Thursday) in Islamabad to consider ‘Indian atrocities against Kashmiris - A Threat to good community relations’ in Europe, US, Middle East and many other countries, home for many Indians, Pakistanis and Kashmiris, says a press release.

JKCHR in its guidance paper has said that Kashmiri Diaspora living in peace and harmony in Europe, US, Middle East and many other countries of the world are stunned and seriously disturbed by the emerging scenes of atrocities being committed by Indian security forces on men, women, youth and children in the habitat of Kashmir. Indians who until 31 March 1959 required an Entry Permit to enter into the State, have played the Arab Camel, and displaced, deported and pushed out of their homes five generations of Kashmiri Muslims. These refugees live in various provinces of Pakistan and in Azad Kashmir.

JKCHR has said that the conference has to consider the atrocities committed by an occupation force and threat to good community relations in countries that are home for Indians, Pakistanis and Kashmiris. All opinions expressed on the subject, findings and recommendations made would be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, General Assembly, Security Council, Commonwealth Secretariat, OIC, other international forums and countries that played a lead role in UN debates on Kashmir and in finalising the manner of a UN supervised referendum in Kashmir.

The guidance paper has said that we all have an important role to play in protecting a woman from being raped by an Indian soldier, protecting a man from inhumane and degrading treatment, protecting a youth from torture and involuntary disappearance, in seeking the release of prisoners languishing in Indian prison for over 24 years, and in stopping the Indian soldier from firing pellet guns to blind, disable and kill the youth in Kashmir. We need to join in condemning the likes of Ram Madhav, Chander Parkash Ganga and Mukul Rohatgi for justifying the inhumane and degrading treatment of Kashmiris and using them as human shields during military operations.

Indian security forces need to be stopped and international community has to be updated on the continued wave of human rights abuses committed by an Indian soldier in uniform in Kashmir. Communal forces sitting in the Government and administration in Delhi have reduced the Kashmiri Muslim to a process of life. These forces do not want a Kashmiri Muslim to graduate for a quality of life. They have robbed the Kashmiri men, women and children of their habitat, honour and dignity. This round-table conference is organised to ‘examine’ the situation and ‘recommend’ means to construct a credible defence for the people until a UN supervised referendum takes place.