Autonomy of occupied Kashmir has never been respected by India: Riz Ahmed

The 'Reluctant Fundamentalist' star took to Instagram to condemn the atrocities occurring in Indian-occupied Kashmir

British actor of Pakistani decent Riz Ahmed is the latest celebrity to share their thoughts on the atrocities occurring in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK).

Taking to Instagram, the Reluctant Fundamentalist star condemned Indian authorities for not guaranteeing the autonomy of IoK. "Article 370 of the Indian constitution, guaranteeing the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, has never been respected and has always been a sham," the actor wrote.

He continued, "For starters, direct rule by Delhi has been imposed 8 times since 1977, and Kashmir has been subjected to the most intense occupation on Earth (soldier per capita)."

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/RIZ AHMED

Authorities in IoK placed large parts of the region under lockdown early on Monday while India sent in tens of thousands of additional troops and traded accusations of clashes with Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).

Communications were cut, including private mobile networks, internet services and telephone landlines.

Soon after the tensions escalated, hashtags such as #StandWithKashmir #RedForKashmir, #BleedForKashmir and #KashmirUnderThreat started trending on Twitter and many celebrities came out to voice their support for Kashmiris.

Have we conveniently blocked what we don’t want to address? This is beyond lines drawn on sand, it’s about innocent lives being lost! Heaven is burning and we silently weep. #Istandwithkashmir #kashmirbleeds

— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) August 5, 2019

The use of cluster bombs in Kashmir is in clear violation of the Geneva Convention. There is no justification for it whatsoever. These are simple war crimes - the world has to wake up and put a stop to these atrocities NOW! #SaveKashmirSOS #KashmirBleeds

— Mehwish Hayat TI (@MehwishHayat) August 4, 2019

(1/3) I appeal to all Pakistani artists, especially those with the most following on social media, ask urselves with utmost sincerity tht why do u not raise a voice for KASHMIR? Is it bcz u genuinely think it won't make a difference? Or.... #KashmirUnderThreat

— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) August 4, 2019

For the Rogue One: A Starwars Story star, IoK's autonomy is the major issue. Riz wrote, "The centre's lack of respect for the constitutional autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir is the root cause of the conflict."

It's really scary to be a Muslim right now...really scary: Riz Ahmed

"This latest move makes the status quo official, and will make the issue much worse in the short and long term. It will worsen the security situation in the valley, damage India's reputation abroad, and makes Indian soldiers less not more safe - not to mention the horrors that will continue to be visited in Kashmir's population."

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/RIZ AHMED

Riz also shared another post in his Instagram stories by humanitarian group Amnesty International to back up his statements on IoK. The company recently stated that the Indian government's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is likely to inflame tensions in the area and increase the risk of further human rights violations.

Amnesty International wrote, "The revocation is expected to cause unrest and wide-scale protests in the region. So far, the government's response to dealing with the protests in the state has been heavy-handed and have led to gross human rights violations over the past few years."

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