PR No. 255-A UN and EU Must Help Resolve Kashmir Issue: Belgian HR Activist Andy Vermaut Islamabad: 28th October 2017

 To express solidarity with the people of Kashmir on Black Day, the Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels organized a seminar entitled “Resolving Kashmir Issue: A Flash Point in South –Asia”, says a press release received here today from Brussels. 

The event was attended by people in large numbers from Pakistani Belgian and international community based in Brussels including ambassadors, representatives of think tanks, journalists and academics.

Belgian human rights activist and president of a non-profit organization Postversa Andy Vermaunt referred to the human rights violations taking place in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and called upon international community to take notice of the situation.

 He condemned brutalities being meted out by Indian security forces on the innocent people fighting for their right to self-determination.

Ramisha Khan a Master’s student of prestigious Leuven University re-counted the true stories of blinding of Kashmiri youth by Indian army through illegal use of pellet guns in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.

 She narrated the stories of young girls includindg14 year old Insha Mushtaq, 13 years old Ifra Jan and 5 years old Zohra.

She quoted the story shared by Insha on several TV channels that how she suffered wounds from pellets while standing in the kitchen of her home as she peeped through the window and the policemen, who were outside, targeted her with a swarm of pellets which pierced in to her eyes resulting in permanent and complete blindness.

Ramisha informed that Indian armed forces have admitted themselves that within few months, they fired nearly 4,000 cartridges at demonstrators, who protested against police brutality, and even onlookers.

 This way 1.3million metal balls were hurtled towards public gatherings predominantly made up of young unarmed people.

 They were shot on the face with pellets capable of piercing the eyes.  She reminded that the body of an 11-year-old boy, was found on the outskirts of Srinagar, riddled with hundreds of pellets.

Senior Representative of students of Leuven University Wim Knaepen, in his speech, qouted the statement by Kanhaiya Kumar the president of Students’ Union of Jawaherlal Nehru University, in which he had stated “Kashmiri wowen are raped by Indian security personnel”.

He said this was an evidence to brutalities being committed by the Indian security forces in the occupied Kashmir. He pointed out people within India are now recognizing the human rights violations by the Indian security forces in the Occupied Kashmir. The atrocities have reached a level that the reports of grave human rights violations are coming out despite the fact that India is not letting Independent Observers visit Indian occupied Kashmir.

            Head of Chancery Giyan Chand made a presentation on the Human Rights Violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir. He said that facts and figures compiled on the basis of reports of international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reveal that from January 1989 to May 2017, total killings have exceeded 100,000, over 141,166 civilians were arrested, more than 7,083 custodial killings took place, between 8,000 to 10,000 enforced disappearances, over 107,872 children were orphaned, about 22,836 women widowed and over 10,872 women were molested and gang-raped.

In his concluding remarks Deputy Head of Mission Asif Hussain Memon said that despite commitments made by the early Indian leadership and numerous resolutions of the UN Security Council on Jammu & Kashmir, the Indian government has unleashed a reign of terror in Indian occupied Kashmir. He asserted that Pakistan will continue to render diplomatic and political support to the people of Kashmir.

October 27th is observed as Black Day for Kashmir , as  it marks the beginning of grave human tragedy in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IoK) as in 1947 on this day , Indian occupation forces landed in Srinagar to occupy, subjugate, oppress, and terrorize innocent Kashmiris. As the brutalities continue with impunity even today , Black Day is observed to express solidarity with the People of Kashmir.

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