Over 8,000 Kashmiris disappeared in custody in IoK

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, Indian troops in their unabated state terrorism subjected thousands of Kashmiris to custodial disappearance during the last twenty-nine years and the families of the victims have no information about their whereabouts.

According to the data released by the Research Section of the Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of the International Day of Disappeared, on Friday, over 8,000 Kashmiris have vanished in the custody after they were picked up by the Indian troops, police and paramilitary forces.

The report maintained that thousands of unnamed graves had been discovered in the territory and the human rights activists feared that these graves could be of the disappeared Kashmiris.

The impunity provided to the troops and police personnel through draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Disturbed Areas Act and Public Safety Act gave them the license to kill and harass the people and ransack their possession without being questioned and the tragedy is that the burden of proof is shifted on the victims.

On the other hand, the held valley is under strict a lockdown since 5th August when Narendra Modi-led Indian government announced the repeal of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Due to the severe blockade, the residents are facing acute shortage of essential commodities including baby food and life-saving medicines and the valley represents a humanitarian crisis, as per Kashmir Media Service.