MIRPUR (AJK)

Jammu and Kashmir National Front Vice Chairman Altaf Hussain Wani flayed India for human rights violation, and said the special procedures were important mechanism of Human Rights Council for strengthening the capacity of states to improve their human rights record.
Wani, who is also representative of World Muslim Congress (WMC) to Geneva, was taking part in general debate during the ongoing 30th session of United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Kashmiri leader said, “Although number of special procedures and mandate holders are increasing but it is quite astonishing that despite all these measures we see more victims, more conflicts and more reparation,” said JKNF said.
Wani pointed out that it was because of the reluctance of the states to implement the recommendation of the special procedures.
Seeking HRC’s urgent attention toward the outcome of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of India, he said the country (India) was handed over 169 recommendations to improve its HR record but it failed miserably to implement the recommendations.
He said India was asked to repeal draconian laws like armed forces special power act, public safe act and foreign contribution regulations act besides ratifying the convention against torture, enforced disappearances and inhuman and degrading treatment of people. However, he added, India did not implement even a single recommendation of the Council.
Referring to Special repoteur on Extra Judicial Summary and Arbitrary Execution, Wani told the delegates that whatever little steps India had taken were still lingering in legislative process.
He said, “India did not comply to stop the construction work on the sites of mass graves and continues its policy to deny and obstruct justice to the families of victims of disappeared persons.”
He observed that the Indian attitude on one hand was tantamount to disregard and undermine the importance of the special procedures of the Council. On the other, he said, it multiplies the miseries of people of Indian occupied Kashmir. He said those co-operating with special procedures face reprisals from the state machinery.
He pointed out that passport of Parveez Imroz, a noted human rights activist of Kashmir, stands confiscated till date despite several interventions by the special procedures. He said that very recently the Indian authorities suspended the passport of veteran Kashmiri leader and the chairman of APHC Syed Ali Shah Gillani when he was invited by OIC to attend an important meeting at New York.