Geneva, Altaf Hussain Wani, the chairman of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations, has urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) to publish a detailed report on the human rights abuses in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Speaking at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Wani, representing the World Muslim Congress and the International Muslim Women’s Union, applauded the High Commissioner’s attention to human rights issues, particularly in Palestine, while raising serious concerns about the situation in Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Wani highlighted the dire political and human rights conditions in IIOJK, pointing out the region’s dangerous environment for human rights and the long-standing demand of its 10 million inhabitants for the right to self-determination. He accused India of flouting UN Security Council resolutions and systematically suppressing the fundamental rights of Kashmiris through coercion, torture, and the stifling of civil liberties.
Wani criticized the Indian government’s approach, describing it as an apartheid regime that not only infringes upon the rights of Kashmiris but also blatantly disregards the UNHRC’s mandate in the territory. He attributed the root cause of these violations to a series of draconian laws that offer impunity to the Indian army, further exacerbating the situation on the ground.
“The imposition of harsh laws by the BJP government ensures that universal human rights protections are effectively nullified in Jammu and Kashmir,” Wani stated. He detailed the severe consequences faced by Kashmiris for asserting their fundamental rights, including loss of identity, familial disruption, the phenomenon of ‘half widows’, and the widespread torture and blinding of youths. Wani also lamented the fear and helplessness experienced by the elderly and the continuous imprisonment of Kashmiri leaders over the decades.
Wani’s appeal for a comprehensive UNHCR report on IIOJK aims to bring international attention to the plight of Kashmiris and press for accountability and justice in the face of ongoing human rights violations.