HRD: APHC Calls for Global Accountability on Human Rights Violations in IIOJK

While the world observes Human Rights Day (HRD), Kashmir endures relentless oppression, with its people’s basic rights trampled under India’s brutal occupation

The Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s plight under Indian occupation deepens, with escalating violence aimed at crushing the Kashmiri people’s struggle for self-determination. The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and numerous leaders have raised alarms over the dire human rights violations taking place in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) today, on Human Rights Day (HRD).

In a statement, APHC spokesman Abdul Rashid Minhas condemned ongoing cordon and search operations, house raids, arbitrary arrests, and the widespread campaign of killings by Indian troops. He underscored the sharp contrast between the celebrations of Human Rights Day and the brutal repression faced by Kashmiris. Minhas also referenced the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on December 10, 1948, and expressed dismay at the international community’s failure to intervene and stop the continuous abuses in IIOJK.

Other prominent APHC leaders, including Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Fayaz Hussain Jafari, and Syed Sibte Shabbir Qumi, joined in denouncing the unrelenting oppression in IIOJK. They emphasized that the human rights situation has worsened over the past three decades, especially since India’s revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. This controversial move resulted in draconian lockdowns, extrajudicial killings, and communication blackouts, which have only escalated the suffering of the Kashmiri people.

Despite the heavy toll on human lives, the international community’s response has been lukewarm at best. APHC leaders have called on the global community to take immediate action to hold India accountable for its blatant violations of human rights in IIOJK. The world must not ignore the Kashmiris’ cries for justice and their right to self-determination.

The Kashmir issue has persisted for over 70 years, with India’s state-sponsored violence continuing unchecked. The international community’s failure to act allows the continued suffering of innocent Kashmiris, who face daily threats to their lives and freedom. As the world commemorates Human Rights Day, it is high time for the global community to take meaningful action to address the grave injustices in IIOJK and demand India stop its brutal repression.