MIRPUR (AJK)-All is set to hold day-long national conference titled "UN Report on Human Rights Violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir: Demographic Changes and Societal Implications" today (Wednesday).
The conference is being held jointly by Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Pakistan House, at the main campus of the varsity, it was officially said.
"The conference aims at promoting the protection of Kashmiri youth and deterioration of peace in the bleeding valley of Indian occupied Kashmir", said the organisers. ''AJK President Sardar Masood Khan will be the chief guest on this occasion", a spokesman of Mirpur University of Science and Technology said while talking to this correspondent here on Tuesday.
Unveiling the concept of the scheduled grand national congregation on Kashmir, the spokesman said that Dr Habibur Rehman, Vice Chancellor, MUST, and Rana Athar Javed, Director General, Pakistan House, retired Chief Justice of AJK Supreme Court Justice Manzoor Hussain Gillani, Mrs Mushaal Hussein Mullick, Chairperson of Peace and Culture Organisation, Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Convener of All Parties Hurrivat Conference, AJK Chapter) Dr Nazir Gillani, President, Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights, Sheikh Tajamul Islam, Executive Director of Kashmir Media Service (TBC) Syed Faiz Naqashbandi, Convener of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Mr Sawed Abdullah Gillani, Representative of Syed Ali Gillani. All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) will address the conference on the topics of "International Community and Human Rights Violations in Kashmir", "Human Rights Violations in Kashmir: Impact on Women and Children" and "Demographic changes in Kashmir: India's Neo-colonialism Strategy".
It is worthwhile to mention here that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had recently released the first ever report on violation of human rights in Indian Occupied Kashmir which has been experiencing extensive human rights violations at the hands of Indian Military. These violations have been neglected by the international community for a long time. The UNSC resolution 39 established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, whereas resolution 47 mandated the Commission to facilitate free and fair plebiscite.
But all these approaches failed due to the Indian non-compliance. Since then, the intensity of violence against Kashmiris by the Indian military has increased manifolds.
The prime objective of hosting the conference is to promote the protection of Kashmiri youth and prevent deterioration of peace in the valley. How India is using "termination of Kashmiri youth policy' to underline future resolution of Jammu & Kashmir issue, is an important question to investigate? As a result, India through its active military and security occupation has managed to impose a combination of demographic and societal changes, which, in turn have become central to flout all international norms and UNSC resolutions - thus upsetting the basic global human rights structure and international law.
The human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir, highlighted by the "Repon on the Satiation of Human Rights in Kashmir by Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights" are: Lack of justice and impunity, administrative detention, excessive use of force and torture, killing of civilians, use of pellet-firing shotgun, arbitrary arrests and detention, including children, forced disappearances, restrictions on the right to freedom of expression, reprisals against human rights defenders and restrictions on journalists and violations of the right to education and health and sexual violence.
It may be added that this is the first ever report on human rights violations in Kashmir. Despite the systematic atrocities committed by Indian government, highlighted in this report, it did not receive the due attention of media, civil society and international human rights organisations.
Hence, it is imperative that the human rights violations highlighted in this report shall be given due importance. India is also orchestrating the demography of Kashmir to manipulate the future plebiscite.
This is evident from attempts to abrogate Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution that allows the Jammu-Kashmir assembly to define permanent residents of the state, giving property to non Kashmiri industrialists and the establishment of Sainik colonies.
The surge of Hindu right has also created concerns regarding the rights of Kashmiris in the valley. The Muslim population is threatened by these rightist groups.
Research Questions to be brought in discussion in the scheduled moot included "How the UN Kashmir report will impact the Human Rights laws? 2) What are the similarities of Indian Occupied Kashmir with East Timor? 3) What role can the civil society play in highlighting the acts of human rights violations in Indian Held Kashmir? 4) International community interests m resolving the crisis?
This conference brings together academics, university students, and media organisations.