Kashmiri activists call for justice on International Day of Enforced Disappearances

MIRPUR-AJK, Aug 30 (APP): The Chairman of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), Altaf Hussain Wani on Friday called for justice for the victims of enforced disappearances in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK).

In a statement issued on the occasion of the International Day of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Altaf Hussain Wani expressed solidarity with the families and loved ones of the thousands of individuals who have been subjected to enforced disappearances in IOJK since 1989.

Wani stated that the issue of enforced disappearances in IOJK is a grave violation of human rights with over 10,000 individuals reported missing while in the custody of Indian forces.

He added that these disappearances have left families shattered with many parents and relatives enduring years of trauma while searching for answers in the face of government indifference.

The KIIR chief condemned the Indian government’s failure to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and its disregard for calls to investigate unmarked mass graves and carry out forensic examinations of the remains found within them.

Wani urged the international community to hold India accountable for its human rights violations in IOJK and called on the Indian government to ratify the relevant international convention, conduct thorough investigations into the cases of enforced disappearances and provide the necessary support and resources to the victims and their families.