Islamabad: Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has said that over 800,000 personnel of Indian occupation forces had intensified systematic use of summary executions, torture, destruction of civilian infrastructure and use of rape as a form of collective punishment to repress the legitimate Kashmiri freedom struggle.
She was speaking at a high-level segment of the 49th Human Rights Council session.
Dr Mazari opened with the global state of human rights representing a sobering picture.
Despite robust global treaties, mechanisms and advocacy, powerful states have for decades continued to suppress inalienable rights and trample upon fundamental freedoms, she added.
“Women, children and civilians in Kashmir and Palestine continue to be victims of the most brutal occupation of our times. Yet, the occupiers are shielded by their patrons from global scrutiny,” the minister said.
She argued that respect for universal values and principles were continuously sacrificed at the altar of strategic and commercial interests.
“State-sponsored Islamophobia with women and girls being the worst victims and extremist ideologies are also on the rise. These disturbing trends are visible in the global response to the Covid-pandemic, where vaccine inequity and vaccine nationalism are outweighing global solidarity,” Ms Mazari said.
The minister maintained that Pakistan was gravely concerned over the deteriorating human rights conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, which remained under illegal occupation of India.
She drew attention to the last two-and-a-half years, as the Indian occupation machinery had accelerated the scale and pace of demographic changes in this UN-recognised disputed territory.
“By deploying dubious laws, India has granted over four million domiciles to non-Kashmiris, legalising their permanent settlement, purchase of properties and local employment. These unlawful actions constitute willful non-compliance by India of its obligations under the UN Charter, UN Security Council resolutions and the 4th Geneva Convention. These illegal measures are designed to convert the Kashmiri majority into a minority in their own homeland and to deny them their inalienable right to self-determination,” she said.
“Local human rights institutions have been stifled. A pliant judiciary had been installed, depriving Kashmiri people of even a modicum of access to justice. Impunity for Indian forces had become even more pervasive under the cover of oppressive laws,” she said adding that, “it is a matter of record that not a single member of the Indian army has so far been prosecuted for these widely documented abuses”.
The minister said India had stonewalled any impartial assessment by its continued denial of access to UN human rights machinery, independent observers and media. “Indian state oppression has expanded beyond occupied Kashmir to its mainland as well, under the Nazi-inspired Hindutva ideology,” she said.
The UN institutions, OIC, parliaments, global media and independent human rights organisations had called India out for its gross and systematic violations of Kashmiri rights, she said adding that “as the global standard-bearer on human rights, this council must also act and prevent the growing human rights crimes in occupied Jammu and Kashmir”. APP
