Srinagar: In occupied Kashmir, the High Court Bar Association has paid rich tributes to prominent martyred Kashmiri lawyer and the leading human rights activist, Jaleel Ahmad Andrabi on his 24th martyrdom anniversary.
27 March marks the 26th martyrdom anniversary of prominent martyred Kashmiri lawyer and the leading human rights activist, Jaleel Ahmad Andrabi. He was abducted by Major Avtar Singh of the 35th Rashtriya Rifles Unit of the Indian Army in Srinagar on 08 March 1996 and tortured to death in custody. Andrabi sacrificed his life for the cause of Kashmir.
Terming the murder of Andrabi as a clear case of extra-judicial killing, JKNF leader Altaf Hussain Wani said, Kashmir’s recent history is flooded with incidents of terror which speak volumes about the India’s colonial mindset and hatred against the Kashmiris.
The then spokesperson of US State Department, Mr. Nicholas Burns issued a statement on March 29, 1996, condemning the killing of Jalil Andrabi and called upon the government of India to conduct a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Andrabi’s abduction and murder. Such a statement was also issued by the UN Human Rights Commissioner Jose Ayala Lasso condemning the murder and calling for an impartial investigation. Unfortunately, despite this condemnation at a global level, government of India did not punish the perpetrator and not even arrested the main culprit. Jammu & Kashmir High Court found Major Avtar Singh to be the person who killed Jalil Andrabi, High Court ordered his arrest in 1997.
The judge who ordered so, got immediately transferred from Kashmir to India. In addition, because Indian army personnel have full immunity in Kashmir, government of India arranged a passport despite the court order for his arrest, and facilitated his exit from India to Canada and then to USA to save him from any legal proceedings. Twenty-Six years later, the justice has not been served. We hope now that silence and passivity of world powers will prick the conscience of Biden Administration and motivate her to end these crimes against humanity. Their justice is awaited. Web Desk
