Will approach ICJ for return of bodies of Maqbool Butt, Afzal Guru: Ali Raza
Brussels: Chairman of Kashmir Council EU, Ali Raza Syed, has announced that his organization will approach the International Court of Justice to demand the return of the mortal remains of Shaheed Maqbool Butt and Shaheed Afzal Guru from India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, India had executed Maqbool Butt on February 11, 1984, and Afzal Guru on February 9, 2013, sentencing them to satisfy the collective consciousness of Indians and burying their bodies in the infamous Tihar Jail, against the wishes of their families. India has refused to hand over their remains to their relatives, despite repeated calls.
Ali Raza Syed in a statement in Brussesl said that the issue will soon be taken up with the International Court of Justice, with the aim of securing the bodies of these great martyrs through the court’s intervention, so that their final rites can be conducted with full honors in their homeland of Kashmir as per the wishes of their families.
He further emphasized that they seek global pressure on India to hand over the remains of Maqbool Butt and Afzal Guru to their families. Ali Raza Syed also called for the immediate release of Kashmiri Hurryat leaders, human rights activists, and other Kashmiri detainees being illegally held in Indian jails. He urged the United Nations, European Union, and human rights organizations to play their part in ensuring Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
Ali Raza Syed also announced that a conference will be held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the headquarters of the European Union, on February 10, to pay tribute to Shaheed Maqbool Butt and Shaheed Afzal Guru. The conference will be organized by Kashmir Council EU at its Secretariat at 7 PM, with representatives of Kashmiris, their supporters, human rights organizations, and social personalities being invited.
