India faces an international blow over the Occupied Kashmir issue
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NEW DELHI - India faces an international blow over the Occupied Kashmir issue from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
ICJ has strongly condemned the legislative steps taken by India in occupied Kashmir and urged the Indian government to "respect, protect and fulfill the human rights of people in Jammu and Kashmir."
India rushed through a presidential decree on Monday to abolish Article 370, which revoked the special status granted to occupied Kashmir and made the state a Union Territory with the legislature.
The move followed days of uncertainty in the region that began last week when New Delhi ordered tourists and Hindu pilgrims to leave "immediately".
"The Indian Government’s revocation of the autonomy and special status of Jammu and Kashmir violates the rights of representation and participation guaranteed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir under the Indian Constitution and in international law and is a blow to the rule of law and human rights in the state and in India," the ICJ said in a press release.
"The Indian Government pushed through a legislative package effectively eliminating the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir and limited the Indian Government’s legislative powers in the state.
The move was preceded by a communication blackout, arbitrary detention of political leaders, banned movement and meetings of people, and increased military presence, purportedly to quell protests.
