Speakers urge world community not to ignore Kashmiris’ rights
Brussels: The speakers of a webinar have urged the international community not to ignore the rights of Kashmiris.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the webinar “Pathways to Peace: Human Rights as a Foundation for Resolution for Jammu & Kashmir” held under the auspices of Kashmir Council Europe (KCEU), was attended by European, Kashmiri and Pakistani intellectuals and experts of international relations.
The KCEU Chairman, Ali Raza Syed, performed the hosting of the webinar. He said that the objective of this webinar was to highlight the right of self-determination of Kashmiris and create awareness about human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir.
He thanked the participants of the webinar who, despite their busy schedules, participated in the program to express their views on the rights of Kashmiris.
Ali Raza Syed expressed solidarity with the people of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and strongly condemned the ongoing atrocities and human rights violations by the Indian forces against them. He emphasized the importance of joint efforts of Kashmiris to draw international attention for peace and justice in the region and to pave the way for a peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute.
Addressing the webinar, All Parties Hurriyat Conference Azad Kashmir Chapter General Secretary Advocate Pervaiz Ahmed said, “We have to be the voice of those whose voices are not heard. We are also informing the youth of Azad Kashmir about the atrocities and human rights situation in occupied Kashmir, especially we are visiting the universities of the Azad Kashmir.”
The Chairman of Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), Islamabad, Altaf Hussain Wani said Kashmiris will never give up their rights.
He further said at this time there is a need to highlight atrocities on Kashmiris and violations of their rights by occupation forces in occupied Kashmir.
Former member of European Parliament Shafaq Muhammad said he is a British politician of Kashmiri origin and considers it his duty to highlight the Kashmir dispute. He said that as a member of the European Parliament, he had also tried to create more awareness in Europe about the Kashmir issue, especially the rights of Kashmiris.
Muhammad Ahsan Unto, a human rights defender from occupied Kashmir, while talking about the women prisoners of Kashmir, said there are women who are in remote Indian prisons and some among them who have not been released despite the end of their sentence. He further informed that Indian agencies were also harassing government employees in the territory.
International affairs expert Professor Dr Syed Sibatin Shah said that the international community should not ignore the atrocities on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Their voices, their stories of victimization and their struggle against oppression cannot be suppressed, he added.
President of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Front France Asif Jarral said Kashmiris living abroad should unite and raise their voice on the Kashmir issue, especially against the violation of the rights of the people of Occupied Kashmir.
Kashmir Diaspora Alliance Europe President Chaudhry Khalid Mahmood Joshi said the people of Occupied Kashmir are suffering gravely, they need our support and solidarity.
European journalist and intellectual Andre Barcs said one million Indian troops are engaged in oppressing the people in Occupied Kashmir. Freedoms and rights of Kashmiris are denied.
Hungarian journalist and intellectual Mikulas Kirwansky lamented that the international media is not paying attention to the Kashmir issue. He said that the media should raise the rights of Kashmiris in front of the world as much as possible.
Journalist and intellectual Muhammad Nadeem Butt appreciated the services of the team of Kashmir Council Europe, especially the Chairman of the Council, Ali Raza Syed, for highlighting the Kashmir issue in Europe.
After the speeches in the webinar, there was also a question and answer session, during which the issue of Kashmir and the basic human rights of Kashmiris, especially the right to self-determination, were discussed.
