Enforced disappearances grave violation of human rights in IIOJK: Wani
Islamabad: Noted Kashmiri human rights activist and Chairman of Kashmir Institute of International Relations Altaf Hussain Wani has said that the issue of enforced disappearances in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) is a grave violation of human rights, with over 10,000 individuals reported missing while in custody of Indian forces since 1989.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Altaf Hussain Wani in a statement issued in Islamabad on “International Day of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances” said the day serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing plight faced by parents and relatives of victims, who continue to live in anguish and uncertainty, yearning for truth and justice.
He lamented that the disappearances had left families shattered, with many parents and relatives enduring years of trauma, searching for answers in the face of government indifference. The pain and suffering experienced by these families cannot be overstated; their cries for justice echo in the silence of unmarked mass graves that remain uninvestigated, he added.
Altaf Wani said among the most affected are the women who have taken on the heart-wrenching titles of “Half-Widows” and “Half-Wives.” These women, he said, often left in a state of perpetual mourning, are denied the closure that comes with knowing the fate of their loved ones. They, he said, navigate a life filled with uncertainty, carrying the dual burden of loss and social stigma. “Their voices, filled with sorrow and resilience, demand recognition and justice. As one Half-Widow poignantly stated, We are neither widows nor free; we are trapped in a limbo of grief,” he maintained.
The Kashmiri human rights activist said despite international calls for accountability, the Indian government has failed to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. This lack of commitment to international human rights standards is deeply concerning, Wani added.
“On this International Day of Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, we stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of the thousands of individuals who have been subjected to enforced disappearances in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK),” Altaf Wani said,
The KIIR chief also condemned the Indian government for its continued neglect of these critical issues and urged the international community to hold India accountable for its human rights violations in IOJK.
He urged the Indian government to fatify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, conduct thorough investigations into the cases of enforced disappearances and the existence of unmarked mass graves in Kashmir and ensure that forensic investigations are carried out to identify the remains and provide closure to the families of the victims.
