MIRPUR (AJK)-A Kashmiri delegation head said that the statement made by High Commissioner on deteriorating situation in Indian Held Kashmir calls for an immediate action from International community to evade grave humanitarian crisis due to complete lockdown, curfew and communication blockade in the valley.
Addressing 42nd session of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, the Kashmiri leader invited the attention of the chair. He said that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in his reports released in 2018 and 2019 asked both states to respect people’s rights to self-determination under international law but on 5th of August one of the states through presidential decree in violation of UN resolutions, International laws and bilateral agreements scrapped Article 370 and Article 35 A of the Constitution. It gave special status to the state and cart blanch to state legislature to define the state subject laws with intention to change the demographic composition of the state.
Executive Director Kashmiri Institute of International Relations (Kashmiri NGO) Sardar Amjad Yousaf continued, “I live on the Line of Control in AJK, where Indian occupation forces frequently use snipers across loC to target the civilian population of all ages.”
As per an official message released to media, he said, “Beside, I welcome the statement made by High Commissioner on the inclusion of Kashmiri voices in the final decision making of the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir but the attitude of Indian government after 5th August unilateral action and violating international and bilateral agreements practically left no space for dialogue.“
“My organization condemns and rejects the statement made by India claiming Jammu &Kashmir as their internal matter. Jammu & Kashmir has never been never India’s internal matter, It is an internationally recognized disputed territory future of which will be determined through a plebiscite under UN. If Indians claim people support for illegal action of 5th August why don’t the lift the siege in Indian occupied Kashmir ? If India claims to be a democracy, why don’t they allow referendum in Kashmir? If they are decent nation, why did they reject high commissioner reports on Kashmir,” he said.
He further said, “The Indian claims are baseless, actually Kashmiris are subjected to Indian incredible state terrorism.” He reiterated the fact that Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory according to UN resolutions which provide people of the state the right to decide their future through a fair and impartial plebiscite.
Amjad continued that the people of the state have been struggling for this right since long but due the arrogance of the occupying state the people couldn’t achieve this cherished right.
”The scrapping of these article deprived the occupied Jammu & Kashmir people of their flag, constitution, sovereignty and local law of the land,” he said. “Since the scrapping of the Constitutional guarantee, the disputed territory is under continuous siege and curfew has been imposed in every nook and corner of the state. People are confined to their homes without any access to civic facilities including landlines, mobile phones and internet services. This blockade has deprived the people to talk and share grief and sorrows, and force people to bury the dead bodies insides the compounds of their houses.”
The non-availability of the lifesaving drugs have accelerated the deaths of Kashmiris, he said. “In such situation, my organization appeals this council (UNHCHR) to immediately intervene and send fact-finding mission to ascertain the magnitude of savagery perpetrated on the people of the bleeding valley of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he concluded.