Qaisar Mansoor
Indian troops are mercilessly killing innocent and unarmed Kashmiri youth in fake encounters across the territory. Extrajudicial killings and fake encounters have become a regular feature of Indian troops in IIOJK. “Unarmed Kashmiri youth are being mercilessly killed by Indian troops in IIOJK.
In its 2021 annual report, APHC has exposed Indian state sponsored terrorism in IIOJK, conversion of Muslim majority into minority and continuous detention of Hurriyet leaders.
Military crackdown and intensified extra-judicial killings in staged operations in IIOJK which reflects extremist anti-Muslim designs of “Hindutva” inspired extremist BJP-government. Indian occupying forces have launched 467 Cordon and Search Operation (CASOs) and Cordon and Destroy Operations (CADOs) which resulted in 85 encounters.
128 Indian occupational forces were also killed which include 29 who committed suicide in different parts of IIOJK. Indian occupation forces have martyred 210 Kashmiris in fake encounters, 135 houses vandalized, detained 1686 persons and lodged in different jails, 410 persons were booked under draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act while as 178 persons were booked under Public Safety Act in 2021. 49 civilians were killed in different violence related accidents including extra-judicial killing of top Hurriyet leadership Muhammad Ashraf Sehraie by Indian occupational forces and mother-daughter dup by mysterious blast in Handwara.
Burial of the last remains of martyrs at unknown locations without the consent and presence of their families in many instances, is yet another abhorrent manifestation of India’s use of state-terrorism as a policy tool. India’s ongoing, systematic and widespread human rights violations in IIOJK warrants investigation by UN Commission of Inquiry (COI), as recommended by the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in its Kashmir Reports of 2018 and 2019.
Detained leaders and activists were being deprived of basic facilities including medical care and hygienic food as per the jail manual due to which their lives were at stake. Indian government was not releasing women Hurriyat leaders, Aasiya Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi and Naheeda Nasreen, despite the fact that they were suffering from various ailments which was a serious violation of human rights.
UN Security Council and international human rights organizations must take notice of the killing and illegal arrest of Kashmiri youth and put pressure on India to stop its state terrorism in IIOJK and immediately release all Kashmiri detainees.
Peace would continue to elude South Asia till the settlement of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations and relevant UN resolutions
