Speakers in Brussels demand probes of human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: The Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels organized a conference at the Press Club Brussels Europe to observe Black Day for Kashmir with a view to draw attention of international community to the human rights violations in the Indian occupied Kashmir.

Members of European and Belgian Parliament and community leaders highlighted atrocities committed by the Indian forces of occupation and demanded independent international investigation of this matter as recommended by the United Nation’s Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNOHCHR) in its report released in June this year, said a press release received here from Brussels.

The conference was attended by a large number of audiences representing all walks of life. The speakers included Vice President of Brussels Parliament Eman Ozkara, Member Brussels Parliament Dr Manzoor Zahoor, Belgian Human Rights Activist Andy Vermaut, Honorary Council General of Pakistan in Gent Karin Zoeter , Representative of Student’s Union of KU Leaven University Wim Kneapen, Councillor Shazia Manzoor, Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of Pakistan Asif Memon and 7-years-old Pakistani student Maham Sohail.

Video messages of members of European Parliament including those of MEP Jean Lambert, MEP Julie Ward, MEP Amjad Bashir, MEP Wajid Khan and Mishaal Malik wife of detained Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik were also screened on the occasion.

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In their messages the MEPs called upon international community to take action for addressing growing violence by the Indian forces of occupation. A documentary depicting human rights violations in Kashmir was also screened.

The speakers said that for the international community there was almost no accessibility to the Indian occupied Kashmir and India’s refusal for access to representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate violations of human rights posed a big problem. Speakers condemned the use of pellet guns by Indian forces which has blinded thousands and killed hundreds of Kashmiris since the uprisings in the aftermath of martyrdom of young Kashmiri leader Burhan Wani in July 2016.

Speakers also expressed concerns over unexplained disappearances. Indian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978 (PSA), have created structures that obstruct the normal course of law, impede accountability and jeopardise the right to remedy for victims of human rights violations, they said.

The speakers referred to the report of UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that over 1,000 people were detained under the PSA in just one year between March 2016 and August 2017.

Human rights groups had warned Jammu and Kashmir authorities that minors were being arrested under the PSA Medical aid was also being obstructed in Indian Occupied Kashmir making situation even worst for innocent people of Kashmir. Humanity has to be concerned by the bloody events in Kashmir and we should all condemn the shocking abuses of human rights, the speakers asserted.

Human Rights Activist Andy Vermaut said, “We should all condemn the circle of violence taken place in Indian Occupied Kashmir. We should additionally investigate if any armaments exported from the UK and the European Union is being used against the civilians of Kashmir”.