MIRPUR (AJK): Sep 06 (APP): One of the Kashmiris rights outfit – the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) has appreciated the United Nations Special Rappoteur on Human Rights for raising grave concerns over widespread human rights violations in the occupied Kashmir, especially the closure of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) by the government of India.
In a statement issued here on Sunday the KIIR chief Altaf Hssain Wani while terming it as a healthy development said, “The UN SR’s letter to the government of India
vindicates our stand on the rights violations, extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearance and abuse of rights by the Indian state”.
He said the letter should serve as an-eye opener for those who have chosen to stay silent on the simmering situation in the held territory especially after the events of 5th August 2019.
Referring to the SR’s reservations over the sudden closure of the State Human Rights Commission by the Government of India (GoI) Wani said closure of the SHRC reflected that the GoI was not serious in tracing thousands of disappeared persons whose family members still continue to wander from pillar to post to get information of whereabouts of their loved ones.
He said more than 7000 bodies of missing persons still lay buried in unmarked and unknown mass graves unearthed in and around the Kashmir valley.
He added that a special investigation team was constituted on the special directives of the SHRC after conducting an inquiry in 2009, confirmed the presence of 2,730 unidentified bodies buried across 37 sites in the three districts of north Kashmir.
He said closure of SHRC was tantamount to closing the doors of justice for people whose rights were being trampled down under the jackboots.
Meanwhile, the KIIR chairman also appreciated Human Rights Workers for expressing concern over the use of pellet guns in Kashmir. Wani said human rights watchdogs have always voiced their strong reservations over use of firearms and live ammunition insisting that such kind of lethal weapons must never be used simply to disperse an assembly.
Hailing the fast growing realization among the international community over the human rights situation in Kashmir, he expressed hope that well-wishers of humanity around the globe would work together and devote themselves for the good of suffering humanity in the occupied valley.
