Islamabad: Chairman Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), Altaf Hussain Wani has urged the UNHRC to influence the government of India to help release illegally detained Kashmiri rights activists Khurram Parvaiz and Ahsan Untoo.
Taking part in the debate held under Agenda Item 5 of the 49th session of United Nations Human Rights Council Geneva, on behalf of the World Muslim Congress, KIIR chief said,
The Modi-led Indian government had responded to the expression of dissent and the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression with arbitrary arrests, intimidation, and a campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting the work of Kashmiri rights activists.
Referring to bogus cases filed against the rights activists, Wani said, “Recently two prominent human rights defenders Khurram Parvez and Ahsan Untoo were arrested on false and fabricated charges”.
The duo, he said, was being victimized for his work and standing up for the rights of his own people, calling spade a spade and speaking truth to the power, they have been under fire over the role they played in exposing India’s dodgy and destructive role in Kashmir.
These detentions, he said, were part of Modi-led apartheid regimes’ policy aimed at silencing rights defenders who have time and again played a vital role in raising alarm over the rights situation in the region and criticized the authoritarian regime’s brutal policies towards Kashmir.
Wani thanked the UN special Rapporteurs and International human rights organizations for showing their concern on the detention of Khurram Parvez, and others.
He urged the council to call upon the government of India to release Khurram Parvez and Ashan Untoo and end reprisals against human rights defenders.
Revival of VDCs disastrous recipe to legitimize persecution of Kashmiri Muslims: Altaf Wani
Altaf Hussain Wani while voicing serious concern over the Modi government’s decision to revive dreaded Village Défense Committees (VDCs) in the Indian occupied territory said that the decision was being taken at a time when Hindu nationalist leaders openly call for a Muslim genocide in Kashmir after watching Bollywood’s propaganda-laden film the Kashmir files, which portrays Kashmiris as terrorists.
Taking part in the debate held under Agenda Item 8 of the 49th session of United Nations Human Rights Council Geneva, the KIIR chief said
Indian forces operating in Kashmir have been working closely with these VDCs, many of which have been accused of human rights abuses. “Rather than disbanding these criminal gangs the Modi government is now hell-bent on providing them with more weaponry, training, and other incentives”, Wani said adding that the decision was being taken at a time when Hindu nationalist leaders openly call for a Muslim genocide in Kashmir after watching Bollywood’s highly controversial propaganda-laden film the Kashmir files, which portrays Kashmiris as terrorists.
He said that the movie, which fostered Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred was being screened for free in many Indian cities. He told the audience that “The movie, with plenty of distortions, is being promoted by the RSS and BJP with a view to advance their ultra-nationalist agenda”.
Amidst mounting majoritarianism and political polarization in India, Wani said that the so-called Kashmir Files was a disastrous recipe to legitimize the persecution of innocent Kashmiri Muslims at the hands of the Indian occupation army.
He urged the council to impress upon the government of India to disband VDCs and stop screening of the controversial movie Kashmir files
Regarding the Indian rulers’ consistent denial to grant Kashmiris their basic rights, he said, “World Conference on Human Rights considers the denial of the right of self-determination as a violation of human rights and underlines the importance of the effective realization of this right”. He said that the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir was recognized by no less an authority than the United Nations security council.
“The denial of this right to the people of Indian occupied Kashmir led to a regime of Human rights violation, well documented by the various human rights originations and two reports of the OHCHR”, he maintained.
