ISLAMABAD: Kashmiri leaders and political experts have accused the Indian army of committing grave human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in a bid to suppress the legitimate freedom movement. They highlighted instances of war crimes, sexual harassment, and violence perpetrated against women and children in the region.
Muhammad Hussain Khateeb, Member of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (Gillani Group), revealed shocking statistics indicating that since January 1989, Indian state terrorism has left 22,957 women widowed and approximately 11,256 women have been raped by Indian forces. The Kashmiri people have suffered immensely, with thousands losing their loved ones to custodial disappearance and over 682 women martyred by Indian troops since January 2001.
Professor Dr AH Hilali, former Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Peshawar, emphasized that the Indian government’s abrogation of Article 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019, aimed to rob Kashmiris of their identity, history, and culture. This has resulted in an apartheid regime and denial of liberties and services to the oppressed Kashmiri people, holding them hostage at gunpoint.
Indian Govt’s Illegal Actions in IIOJK
Mushtaq Ahmed Shah, Vice Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League, labeled August 5, 2019, as the blackest day in Kashmir’s history when India attempted to strip Kashmiris of their identity, history, language, and culture. He asserted that the Indian government has provided over six million illegal domicile certificates to Hindus to bring about demographic change in the region.
The experts cited a Pakistani dossier with strong evidence of India’s involvement in war crimes, human rights abuses, genocide, and torture of innocent Kashmiris in IIOJK. The alarming numbers reveal a pattern of violence, including extra-judicial killings, rape, molestation, and the burning of homes and shops.
Dr Ejaz Khan, former Chairman of International Relations at the University of Peshawar, stressed that India’s actions in IIOJK are a complete violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including the 4th Geneva Convention and UN Security Resolutions. He urged the international community, including world powers, to press the Modi government to revert to the pre-August 5, 2019 status of IIOJK and grant the right of self-determination to the oppressed Kashmiris.
The experts deplored the UNSC members’ apathy towards resolving the Kashmir dispute, which remains a flashpoint between two nuclear-armed neighboring countries. They urged the international community to take collective action and put pressure on the Indian government to reverse all illegal actions taken on August 5, 2019.
