GENEVA: A peaceful protest held outside the UN office in Geneva aimed to draw global attention to the deteriorating political and human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The event was jointly organized by a visiting Kashmiri delegation, the World Muslim Congress, and Friends of Kashmir France.
The protest saw attendees from the Kashmiri and Pakistani diaspora, journalists, and human rights activists from various parts of the world. Prominent figures, including PPP president Ch. Muhammad Yasin, Altaf Hussain Wani, Mirza Asif Jarral, Sardar Amjad Yousaf, Syed Faiz Naqashbandi, Hassan ul Bana, Advocate Parvez, Dr. Waleed, and others, addressed the gathering.
Speakers at the protest expressed deep concern about the worsening political and human rights situation in the IIOJK since August 5, 2019, a date marking a crisis of immense magnitude in the region.
They said that miseries faced by the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have intensified since the revocation of its special status in 2019. Journalists and human rights defenders have been increasingly targeted for raising their voices against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led India’s government aggressive policies, with arbitrary detention of political activists becoming commonplace.
The speakers highlighted the Modi government’s misuse of draconian laws like the Special Powers Act (SPA), the Armed Forces Special Protection Act (AFSPA), and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in Kashmir against the local population. They emphasized the urgent need for an early and peaceful resolution to the long-standing Kashmir conflict, which poses a significant threat to peace and stability in the region.
Kashmir People Struggle for Self-Determination
The event attendees called for holding the Indian army accountable for alleged war crimes committed against Kashmiris, denounced India’s state terrorism in the region, and criticized Indian attempts to delegitimize the Kashmiris’ legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination.
They also expressed serious concerns about the continued detention of Kashmiri leaders, urging international human rights organizations to pressure India to secure the early release of Kashmiri prisoners arrested before and after August 5, 2019.
Furthermore, they condemned the Modi government’s attempts to change the demography of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir by granting citizenship rights to non-state subjects. The protesters called on the international community, particularly the UN, to pressure India to reverse the constitutional changes implemented since 2019, repeal oppressive laws that grant impunity to occupation forces, and release all political leaders and activists arrested before and after August 5, 2019.
They also urged influential world governments to proactively engage in helping resolve the Kashmir dispute, which they identified as the root cause and consequence of bloodshed and violence in the region.
