HRW Report Confirms Widespread HR Violations in IIOJK

Chairman of the Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU), Ali Raza Syed, has welcomed and endorsed the recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, stating that it accurately exposes the extensive human rights violations perpetrated by Indian troops in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir region. In a statement released, Syed expressed his appreciation for HRW’s efforts in shedding light on the severe human rights abuses prevailing in the occupied territory.

Highlighting the grim situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Syed emphasized that the Indian authorities have systematically curtailed freedom of expression, peaceful protest, and assembly, leaving the local population grappling with numerous hardships and miseries. The oppressed Kashmiris, according to Syed, endure a catalogue of atrocities, including extrajudicial killings, targeted assassinations, forced disappearances, and sexual assaults perpetrated by the occupying forces.

Syed’s condemnation extended to the Indian foreign ministry’s objection to the recent visit of two British diplomats to Azad Kashmir. Responding to the ministry’s protest against the visit by the UK Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, on January 10, Syed asserted that the entire Jammu and Kashmir region is internationally recognized as a disputed territory and does not constitute an integral part of India. He reiterated that India forcibly deployed its military forces to a significant portion of Jammu and Kashmir on October 27, 1947, and since then, that part of the territory has been referred to as Indian illegally occupied Kashmir.

The KCEU chairman’s support for the HRW report underscores the need for international attention and intervention in addressing the ongoing human rights crisis in the disputed region. The report, according to Syed, serves as a crucial document validating the long-standing concerns regarding the systematic violation of fundamental rights in the occupied territory.

As the international community deals with the complexities of the Kashmir conflict, Syed’s remarks draw attention to the urgency of acknowledging and rectifying the human rights abuses inflicted upon the Kashmiri population. The dispute over Jammu and Kashmir remains a contentious issue, with Syed’s statements reinforcing the importance of impartial investigations and diplomatic efforts to bring about a just and lasting resolution to the protracted conflict.