Yet another diplomatic success for Pakistan against India over Occupied Kashmir
Shares
JEDDAH - The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Tuesday strongly condemned ongoing security blockade and communication blackout in Indian-administered Kashmir that continues for 31st day and called on the Indian government to immediately restore all civil liberties.
On August 5, India revoked the constitutional autonomy of the part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir that it administers and moved to quell objections by shutting down communications and clamping down on local leaders.
Pakistan has reacted with fury to India’s decision, cutting trade and transport ties and expelling India’s ambassador. Both countries claim Kashmir in full but rule it in part.
“Despite this iron curtain blockade, there are credible media reports confirming that over 5000, mostly young Kashmiris, have been illegally detained by the security forces, entire political leadership is incarcerated without any legal recourse, and journalists and human rights activists are being prosecuted on false charges,” the OIC’s human rights commission said in a statement.
“These are deplorable and blatant violations of Kashmiris’ fundamental human rights including the right to life, right to freedom of expression, right to peaceful protest and assembly, which are contrary to international human rights law and also violative of India’s commitments/international human rights obligations.”
IPHRC welcomed the Press Statement issued by the Special Procedures/Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, which has termed the ongoing “blackout as a form of collective punishment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir” and expressed concern over the illegal detentions and enforced disappearances of young protesters and use of excessive force, including live ammunition, to disperse the protests.
“There are similar pronouncements from human rights defenders all over the world, including from within India denouncing the undemocratic and illegal Indian actions, which are arbitrary and inconsistent with international human rights law,” IPHRC said, saying that it “shares these grave concerns and supports the recommendation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a Commission of Inquiry under the UN auspices to comprehensively investigate all the allegations of human rights violations.”
