Denial of medical facilities in IOJ&K merits int’l intervention: UK councillors

LONDON: Access to medical facilities is a basic human right of Kashmiris and its denial merits immediate international intervention, stressed the speakers at a virtual conference of mayors, deputy mayors and councillors, here on Tuesday, as they expressed deep anguish at the inhuman treatment being meted out to the Kashmiris in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K). The speakers deliberated on Covid-19 and the ongoing year-long humanitarian crisis in IOJ&K. The event was organised in the lead up to unilateral and illegal measures taken by India in IOJ&K on August 5, 2019, according to a press release issued here on Wednesday.

The purpose was to apprise the international community of the devastating effects of Covid-19 on the lives of the besieged Kashmiris in IOJ&K. The conference was attended by as many as 60 mayors, deputy mayors, councillors and community leaders from across the length and breadth of the UK.

They condemned the inhuman treatment and atrocious attitude towards the Kashmiri people living under Indian military siege during the worst pandemic. The focus of discussion was on ending the human rights violations and bringing the perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice.

In his remarks, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Nafees Zakaria termed the situation in IOJ&K catastrophic. He said the Kashmiri people were already suffering from the year-long Indian military siege but denial of access to medical facilities has compounded their sufferings and devastated the lives of many families.

He hoped that expression of concern at such an important gathering would send a reminder to the world and defenders of human rights to address the plight of the voiceless and defenceless Kashmiris who are enduring unspeakable sufferings at the hands of Indian occupation forces.

Zakaria said during the unprecedented and difficult times of pandemic, the Kashmiris look up to the world to end their decades-long sufferings which have been aggravated since August 5, 2019 and the pandemic.

Zakaria referred to available documentary evidence published by the UN and other international human rights organisations pertaining to the crimes against humanity committed by Indian occupation forces. He said evidence on mass graves, mass blinding, mass rapes, numerous massacres since 1989, genocide of 1947, custodial and extra-judicial killings and torture is enough for the international community to take action against the perpetrators. The participants related their experiences of living under recent lockdown in the UK due to pandemic with those of Kashmiri people living under Indian military siege during the pandemic. The Kashmiri diaspora in the UK have strong ties with IOJ&K as their extended families and close relatives are living there.

The speakers said India blatantly violated all the conventions and international laws on human rights with impunity and defied UN Charter and UNSC Resolutions on Kashmir. After enforcing illegal J&K Reorganisation Order 2020 followed by ‘new domicile’ issuance procedures, it has expedited the demographic change in contravention of UNSC Resolutions on Kashmir to convert Kashmiris into a minority from majority in their own land, they expressed.

The participants said that Kashmiri population in IOJ&K has been on steady decline since 1947. They noted with concern that India has been systematically changing the demography through initially the genocide in Jammu in 1947, perpetual genocide over time, forced expulsion of indigenous Kashmiris and illegal settlements of non-Kashmiris.

Besides the human rights aspect of the Kashmir dispute, the speakers also deliberated on the dangers Indian belligerence at LoC has posed to the regional security and the economic toll it is taking on the lives of 1.4 billion people in the region, many of whom are living in abject poverty. They appreciated Pakistan’s full moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people in their struggle for self-determination.

While appreciating the British parliamentarians for their support and solidarity with the Kashmiris, the speakers urged the UK parliament to raise a collective voice for the helpless Kashmiris. They also called upon the UK government to play its due role in ending the human rights abuses in Kashmir.

The participants resolved to continue their unflinching support to the Kashmiris until they get their right to self-determination as promised to them by the UN in its Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.