President AJK informs Congressional HR Commission about Indian atrocities in IoK
ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT ONLINE):President of Azad Jammu and Kahsmir Sardar Masood Khan Thursday said that unabated Human Rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) need immediate attention of international organizations and institutions invested in upholding universally accepted International Human Rights.
President Masood Khan said this while visiting the Capitol Hill where he met with the leadership of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US Congress. He was received by Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US Congress.
Describing the current situation in the Indian Occupied Kashmir to the Commission’s leadership, President Masood Khan said that India had unleashed a reign of terror in the occupied Kashmir. “Unspeakable atrocities perpetrated against innocent civilians should cause the world community to view Indian Occupied Kashmir as a region of concern”, the President said.
Pointing to various independent reports on the state of Human Rights in IoK, President Masood Khan said that the killings, torture, enforced disappearances, mass blinding and use of public humiliation had been used as instrument of coercion against the people.
“Indian forces were also culpable in killings civilians across the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir in violation of the ceasefire”, he added
President Masood Khan also highlighted the dark prospect of systematic alteration of demography of the Jammu region by threatening local Muslim communities through criminal gangs.
He explained that India was forcing illegal settlers in settlements in the occupied territory by creating Pundit and ex-Army personnel colonies. Such transfers of populations in an occupied territory are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Additional Protocol I, as well as UN Security Council, General Assembly and Human Rights Commission’s Resolutions.
“The international human rights community must take cognizance of this outrage which is visited on Kashmiris everyday in pursuance of dark, draconian laws devised by India to bludgeon Kashmiris into submission”, he said adding that this gives “immunity from prosecution” to occupation troops.
In viewing the Kashmir dispute, the President said, self-respect and aspirations of the people of Kashmir must not be lost in the fog of regional strategic interests. He reiterated that silence by international community on Human Rights violations in Kashmir had emboldened India to unleash a region of terror with full fury and absolute impunity.
President Masood Khan extended an invitation to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to visit Azad Kashmir.
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is a bipartisan organization in the US Congress and is responsible for promoting, defending and advocating Human Rights.