Geneva seminar links human rights in IIOJK to sustainable regional peace
Geneva: Speakers at a seminar held on the sidelines of the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva highlighted the worsening human rights situation in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and its implications for sustainable peace in the region.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the seminar, titled “Human Rights and Peace Building”, was jointly organized by the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) and the World Muslim Congress (WMC). It brought together diplomats, human rights defenders, civil society representatives and international observers.
The speakers emphasized that repression and peacebuilding cannot coexist, stressing that lasting peace requires an end to militarized governance, accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations, and respect for the inalienable right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to determine their political future through the exercise of their right to self-determination.
They called for an immediate halt to the use of military force against civilians in IIOJK, the release of all Kashmiri political leaders and prisoners held without due process, and the creation of meaningful space for dialogue and civil society engagement. They maintained that justice, accountability and human dignity remain prerequisites for any credible and sustainable peace process.
“Without addressing the root causes of human rights violations and recognizing the people’s right to self-determination, peacebuilding efforts will remain superficial and unsustainable,” said a joint statement issued by the organizers.
The seminar was moderated by KIIR Chairman and WMC representative Altaf Hussain Wani. Speakers included Paras Zaffar, Advocate Parvez Ahmed Shah, Dr. Rajad Sajjad Khan, Rolnard Brone, and Dr. Saira Shah.
The seminar concluded with a collective call for the international community, including the UN Human Rights Council, to ensure accountability for human rights violations, facilitate inclusive dialogue and support a rights-based approach to the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
