On the eve of Human Rights Day, Convener All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chapter, Mehmood Ahmed Saghar called upon the world community to do the needful to protect the human rights of the people of Kashmir.
Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The UDHR proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
In a statement issued here, Mehmood Sagar said Indian troops were continuously violating human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) adding Kashmir was the most unfortunate place on earth where the people are denied basic human rights.
He appealed the international organizations to help settle the lingering Kashmir dispute according to the United Nations resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
He said, it was time to pressurize India to end brutal and illegal actions and pave way for holding a referendum in the region to allow Kashmiris exercise their inalienable right, the right to self-determination.
He condemned the continued cordon and search operations, killings and arrest of youth by Indian troops in the territory and urged world human rights bodies to take notice of the worst situation of IIOJK.
He said, these atrocities were being committed to suppress the Kashmiris’ voice but freedom movements never get suppressed by these kinds of tyrannies.
He urged the UNHRC to come forward to release of all illegally detained Hurriyat leaders, youth and activists including Shabbir Ahmed Shah, Masarrat Aalam Butt, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Aasiya Andrabi, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Fehmeeda Sofi, Naheeda Nasreen, Ayaz Muhammad Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Merajuddin Kalwal, Shahid-ul-Islam, Farooq Ahmed Dar, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Yousuf, Dr Abdul Hameed Fayaz and Khurrum Parviaz.
He said that at a time when voices were being raised for the protection of human rights in the world, India was violating the universal charter of human rights in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He called upon the UN to set up a special tribunal to investigate increasing human rights violations by India in IIOJK.
