Geneva: Kashmiri envoy Altaf Hussain Wani has recently addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and other global human rights bodies, spotlighting the severe human rights conditions in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Wani’s statement emphasized the ongoing military repression, constitutional issues, and the suppression of fundamental rights in the region.
According to Kashmir Media Service, during the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Wani detailed the significant challenges faced by the people in occupied Kashmir. He outlined continuous violent acts including killings, torture, and arbitrary detentions that have been prominent since August 5, 2019, when the Indian government allegedly intensified its control through a settler colonial agenda disguised as efforts towards “normalcy” and “development.”
Wani criticized the Indian government’s actions, which he claimed included altering the demographics of the region and manipulating electoral boundaries to diminish the political voice of the majority population. He condemned these measures as an attempt to enforce a misleading narrative of development while undermining the occupied territory’s right to self-determination, a principle upheld by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 91 (1951) and 122 (1957).
In his plea to the international community and the UNHRC, Wani called for an end to silence on the issue and urged for decisive actions to hold India accountable for its actions in Kashmir. He stressed the necessity for recognizing the rights of the Kashmiri people and granting them the autonomy to decide their future.
Wani’s address at the UNHRC aims to garner international attention and intervention to alleviate the ongoing human rights crisis in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.