Kashmiri Diaspora urged to highlight the abuse of human rights in IOK

LONDON, Dec 14 (APP): The UK Kashmiri Diaspora has been urged to highlight the abuse of human rights in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.A leading Muslim member of the British Parliament, Lord Nazir Ahmed, recently elected as Chairman, All Parties Parliamentary Group on Kashmir, speaking at a seminar organized by the UK chapter of Jammu Kashmir Liberation League to commemorate the 61st UN Human Rights, said it is an important day for the people of Jammu Kashmir and awareness raising activities and campaigns regarding the situation of the human rights in Jammu Kashmir.

He advocated the need for bringing the cause of Kashmir to the notice of the representatives of the people in both houses of parliament in the UK.

Lord Ahmed was of the opinion that political activists and representatives of the Diaspora in the UK and all over the world should take an approach that revolves around the basic rights of the people of J&K rather than being critical of either countries party to the conflict.

Welcoming the participants at the House of Commons and specially Lord Ahmed in his new role as the chair of the APPG,Dr Misfar Hasan, the organizer of the seminar and the senior leader of JKLL, said that recent discovery of more than 2700 unnamed graves in the Indian Held Kashmir is another indication how much people of Kashmir have suffered at the hands of the Indian armed forces.

Talking about the recent attack on a senior political activist of APHC, he said that the incident is an indication that forces with vested interests want to sabotage the dialogue process as ever.

Speaking on the occasion, member of Parliament from Aylesbury and the Shadow foreign minister for the Conservative Party, David Liddington describing discovery of mass graves in the Held Kashmir as unfortunate was of the opinion that organizations like Amnesty International, International red Cross and other Human Rights organizations must have an unfettered access to investigate such unfortunate cases of crimes against humanity.

He further said that his party would accept a settlement of J&K that is acceptable to the people of Jammu Kashmir.

Another Conservative MP Paul Goodman while describing his visits to the refugee camps in the AJK said he has the firsthand account of the torture and use of force by the Indian authorities against the people of Held Kashmir.

He further said that people in different regions may be of different opinions regarding the final settlement of the issue.

Goodman said that they need to keep a focus on human rights violations in Held Kashmir. A resolution that takes into account wishes of the people of J&K would be lasting solution of the problem.

Prof. Nazir Shawl, Executive Director, Kashmir Center, London, presented a report on human rights violation to Lord Ahmed and reiterated that while the Indian government is giving an impression to the International community of talks and peace in the state yet the discovery of another unnamed mass graves in the Held Kashmir valley presents to the civilized world the possibility of mass genocide of many innocent civilian Kashmiris.

Muhammad Khan, a senior leader from Muslim Conference, UK, asked for a unified action to support the cause of the right of Self Determination and hoped that Lord Ahmed would use his good office to evolve some joint strategy in helping towards a political resolution of the issue through mediation.

Dr. Hassan in his closing remarks said that Kashmir is a political issue that must not be taken in context of religions as people of Kashmir with a very diverse culture and religions have lived peacefully side by side for centuries.

He said JKLL as a political party condemns all acts of terrorism anywhere on the globe and advocates a peaceful political settlement of the issue.

The participants agreed to a proposal by Lord Ahmed for an all parties moot in January to develop a consensus on the role of Kashmiri Diaspora to achieve the right of self-determination.