Geneva, September 13, 2019 (PPI-OT): An event “Kashmir under siege” was organised at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on the sidelines of the 42nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Organization of Kashmir Coalition (OKC) was represented by its delegation at the event that included Professor Nazir Ahmad Shawl, Chairman South Asia Centre for Peace and Human Rights and Executive Member of the OKC, and Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo, Executive Member of the OKC.
Other panelists were Phil Bennion, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs, Ms Victoria Schofield, author and historian, Abdelwahab Hani, member of the UN Committee against Torture and Frank SchwaIba-Hoth, founder member of German Greens and former MEP. The event was moderated by Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo.
Introducing the theme (Kashmir under Siege), Barrister Tramboo characterised the nature of present India describing it an epicenter of racism under which every dissenting group or religious minority is being terrorised to appease the conscience of raga of Hindutva. He further stated that Kashmir was under curfew for the last six weeks and according to the independent international media reports, gross physical human rights abuses were being perpetrated by the Indian forces on peace-loving Kashmiris.
Delivering the keynote speech, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who was guest speaker of the event said, the unilateral unlawful action taken by the Indian government on 5th August has been unanimously rejected. He said, two of three stakeholders on the Kashmir dispute namely the Government of Pakistan and the people of Kashmir have outrightly rejected the Indian move and the third party, India, is divided, bearing in mind that there are sixteen petitions before the Supreme Court of India, challenging the government of India’s unlawful act.
The Pakistan Foreign Minister remarked that the entire Kashmiri leadership was detained including those who had been the partners of India in the past. “Siege is there! Who knows how long? India has taken extreme position and that is Hindutva Position!”, the Foreign Minister added. He elaborated, the government of Pakistan’s position is crystal clear in terms, if India takes one step towards peace and resolution of Kashmir dispute, Pakistan is prepared to take two steps.
MEP Phil Bennion stated, the Hindutva government of India headed by Narendra Modi has trampled all the basic rights of people and his actions in Kashmir are reprehensible. He demanded that the lockdown and curfew in occupied Kashmir should immediately be terminated and all the fundamental rights of the people, imprisoned in a wider jail, must be restored.
Ms Victoria Schofield narrated one of her Kashmiri friends message to describe the present situation in Kashmir simply incredible and in the name of Hindutva mantra attempts are being made to establish a supremacist agenda. She laid emphasis on dialogue and upholding the pledges made to the Kashmiri people.
Frank SchwaIba-Hoth stressed on the importance of European Union and the role that can be played by the European Parliament in upholding human rights of Kashmiri people and progressing towards the acceptable solution. He declared that the parliamentary groups are in consultative process to bring about urgency resolution on the current lockdown of occupied Kashmir.
Professor Nazir Ahmad Shawl remarked that India envisioned by Gandhi stands has been transformed and taken over by the inherits of Nathu Ram Godse, who assassinated Gandhi. He urged the international community to recognise the urgency of addressing the catastrophic situation in the occupied territory where India is planning a demographic re-engineering and westbanknisation.
Abdul Wahab Hani referred to the UN Convention of Torture that India has not ratified. He emphasized, the absence of ratification in no way makes a country immune in its practices and ramifications on torture and India is no exception. Following the event, the panelists and OKC delegation had an in-camera meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The OKC delegates (Barrister Tramboo and Prof Shawl) had a brief meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, on September 04 and called for her intervention to the lockdown of occupied Kashmir and to address the severe violations of human rights of the Kashmiris by India.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org