HRSP meeting: UN urged to force India to give rights to Kashmiris

LAHORE: The Human Rights Society of Pakistan (HRSP) held a special meeting on Sunday on the occasion of Kashmiris' Youm-e-Haqq-e-Khudd Iradiat (Kashmirs' day for right to self-determination).

The event chaired by HRSP Chairman SM Zafar was addressed by Syed Asim Zafar, Begum Mehnaz Rafi, Supreme Court former Justice Muneer A Shaikh, Bishop of Lahore Alexander John Malik, Sardar Sajid Mahmood, in charge of research wing of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell, A M Shakoori, Shahida Tahir, Barrister Afzal Javed, Syed Tanveer Abbas Tabish, Khalid Niaz Khawaja, advocate Chaudhry Bashir Ahmad, advocate Ishtiaz Chaudhry and Kashmiri leader Ghulam Abbas Mir. They said the right to self-determination was the birthright of Kashmiris.

They feared there was a danger of war between the two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan, if the Kashmir issue was not resolved according the United Nations resolutions. It war erupts, the international community would be responsible for it, they added.

They urged the international community to force India to accept the genuine right of Kashmiris and withdraw its troops from there so that 15 million Kashmiris could decide their future according to their own choice. The UN must force India to give Kashmiris their right to franchise; otherwise, the Kashmir issue would destroy the peace in South Asia.

The speakers demanded the UN give right of vote to Kashmiris in its supervision. They said the entire Pakistani nation was with the Kashmiri brethren and would not hesitate from any sacrifice for them.

The meeting participants condemned atrocities in Indian-Held Kashmir and abolition of special status of Kashmir.