UN urged to form commission to probe HR violations in IIOJK

APC announces aggressive campaign on political, diplomatic fronts to sensitize world

ISLAMABAD:

The Leaders of the All Parties Kashmir Conference on Saturday called on the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to establish a commission of inquiry in light of the recommendations of the OHCHR report about human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The conference also welcomed the recent principled stand taken by Guterres to resolve the Kashmir dispute on the basis of UN Charter and Security Council resolutions.

In a conference held at Kashmir House in Islamabad, speakers highlighted the current situation in occupied Kashmir and announced to launch an aggressive campaign on both political and diplomatic fronts to sensitise the international community about atrocities in the occupied valley.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry said that it was decided at the conference that massive demonstrations would be held throughout major cities of Pakistan and Muzaffarabad.

He pointed out that the sacrifices made by the people of occupied Kashmir were finally paying off as the world had started paying attention to their plight.

Meanwhile, the All Parties Conference in a joint declaration strongly condemned the August 5 measures, especially the Indian efforts to alter the demographics of the valley and change the Islamic and cultural identity of the occupied territory. It reiterated the principled position of the Kashmiri people that the future of the state of Jammu and Kashmir would be decided through a free and fair referendum in the light of UN Security Council resolutions.

It hailed the sacrifices of the deceased veteran Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Gilani for the Kashmir cause.  He said that the Kashmir issue would not be allowed to be put into cold storage.

The conference was presided over and hosted by President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, while Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi was also in attendance along with former premiers of the region.

The joint statement also urged the UN Secretary General to help release all arrested political leaders, business leaders and civil society representatives, including Kashmiri leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Dr Abdul Hameed Fayyaz, Musarat Alam, Naeem Khan and Ms Asiya Andarabi.

The declaration strongly condemned the restrictions on freedom of expression in the valley, especially the shutdown of the Kashmir Press Club, and the arrest of prominent human rights activists Khurram Pervez and Ahsan Onto.

The conference urged upon media and international human rights organizations to play their role in the release of the arrested journalists and human rights activists.