Federal Minister for Human
Rights Mr. Mumtaz Ahmed Tarar expressed solidarity of the government of
Pakistan with Kashmiri People on black day which is being observed in Kashmir
today (27th October). The day is marked by complete shutdown,
rallies and seminars. This is the day when in 1947 India had sent its armed
forces to Kashmir and occupied it against the will of people. He said that
Government of Pakistan is concerned and has protested at UN level against
anti-Kashmir policies and violations of human rights by the Indian Law
Enforcement Agencies. The occupational forces have unleashed reign of terror in
the entire State and the draconian laws in place provide them license to
search, arrest and kill anybody at any point of time without any provocation,
merely on the basis of doubt.
Federal Minister said that
Human Rights Violations in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir state is a serious
and grave challenge for UN System and global democratic society. The abuses
range from mass killings, enforced disappearances, torture, rape and sexual
abuse to political repression and suppression of freedom of speech. The Indian
army, central reserve police force and border security personnel have been
committing severe human rights abuses against Kashmiri civilians since 1947.
After killing of Mr. Burhan Wani and protest from local people, new wave of
violence from security forces has erupted. He further added that Kashmir is one
of the main items in Pakistani Foreign policy. He affirmed that Pakistan will
continue its moral support for Kashmiri people to achieve their right of self
determination and freedom. Recently, the Prime Minister of Pakistan forcefully
raised this issue during his address at UN General Assembly.
Federal Minister said that
Indian security forces assaulted civilians during search operations, tortured
and summarily executed detainees in custody and murdered civilians in reprisal
attacks. International NGO’s also have documented human rights abuses including
disappearances, torture and arbitrary executions carried out during India’s
counter terrorism operations. United Nations has expressed serious concerns
over large number killings by Indian Security Forces. Human Rights groups have
also accused the Indian security forces of using child soldiers. Torture,
widely used by Indian security forces, is major cause for the huge number of
deaths in custody. Amnesty International accused security forces of exploiting
the Armed Forces Special Powers Act that enables them to “hold prisoners
without trial”. It is argued that the law, which allows security to detain
individuals for as many as two years “without presenting charges is the grave
violation of individual’s human rights”.
Federal Minister said that
the people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides had rejected forced occupation of
their mother land. As a result, they are offering scarifies against the
occupation for last 70 years. He said that Pakistan will continue its efforts
to highlight the human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir at UN level
including Human Rights council.
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