Despite United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ recent report, violations continue in the Indian occupied valley. Monday saw Indian occupation forces locking down parts of the Indian occupied valley and police firing tear gas at protesters defying a curfew to march against the shooting death of 11 youths in Pulwama district. The NA resolution on Kashmir expressed serious concerns over the killing of Kashmiris and injuring of others by the Indian occupation forces in Pulwama district on Saturday. OIC has also shown anxiety on the human rights situation in the occupied valley and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has asked OIC to immediately convene an inter-ministerial meeting of its Contact Group on Kashmir. Kashmir is a disputed region and recognized as such by the UN; Pakistan has a legitimate interest in what happens in the whole of the Kashmir region. Saturday’s shooting ignited fresh anger across the region that has witnessed its bloodiest year since 2009 and increasingly violent public opposition to Indian occupation. Kashmiri leaders had urged the public to march on India’s military headquarters in Srinagar, after 11 people were killed and dozens wounded in army fire on Saturday. Chairman of Hurriyat forum Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Chief of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik were detained after they tried to lead a march towards Indian army headquarters in Badami Bagh area of Srinagar as a mark of protest against the civilian killings by Indian occupation forces in Pulwama on Saturday. As Mirwaiz came out of his Nigeen residence and tried to march along with dozens of his supporters towards the Badami Bagh base, a police contingent deployed near his residence thwarted the march and detained the him and his supporters. Yasin Malik, who had gone underground to evade arrest, was also detained when he took out the march from Gaw Kadal area of Srinagar along with his supporters. As he reached Budshah Bridge, police swung into action and arrested him along with many of his supporters. Authorities had barricaded roads to the key army base with razor wire and armored vehicles. A total curfew was imposed in parts of Srinagar to try and curb any unrest. Mobile internet services were also suspended in some areas, and train services shut down to prevent protesters from massing in numbers. Businesses and schools across the territory were closed for a third straight day, with final year school exams delayed. Restrictions are in place in some city areas and in Pulwama. It is high time the international community takes genuine interest in what is being done in India-occupied Kashmir in the name of security, and hold the occupation forces and government of India to account?
It is high time the international community takes genuine interest in what is being done in India-occupied Kashmir in the name of security.
