By Namer Afzal Khan

On Saturday 10^th December2022, World Human Rights Day was observed at both sides of the Line of Control including Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) with unanimous resolve to continue struggle, with full robustness, for early end of the continuing enormous human rights violations against innocent local population by Indian occupational forces. Special rituals were reportedly held in various parts of AJK including in Mirpur division under the auspices of various Human Rights Organizations with the coordination of the members of the civil society to observe the day.

As the World Human Rights Day was being observed across the globe, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir continues to reel under violent and brutal Indian occupation and political injustice. According to a report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of the World Human Rights Day, said that Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948 is indeed a milestone, however the Kashmiris human rights continued to be violated with impunity. It said among 30 basic human rights enlisted in the UDHR, not even one exists in IIOJK.

According to the report the Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism have martyred 96,156 innocent Kashmiris including 7,275 in custody and false encounters since January 1989 till date. It said that these killings rendered 22,952 women widowed and 107,887 children leave parentless. It said that the troops mistreated 11,256 women and destroyed 110,495 residential houses and other structures. It maintained that Indian troops and police personnel subjected over 8,000 people to prison vanishing.

Addressing these ceremonies, speakers emphasized the need of making collective efforts by the international community to ensure the complete protection of human rights all over the world particularly in those areas where the people were being denied their due rights.

They called for the measures by the international human rights outfits to move for ensuring the grant of basic human rights in the areas including in the strife-torn Indian held Jammu Kashmir state where the masses comprising all segments of the civil society were being denied their due human rights – including Kashmiris globally-acknowledged birth right to self-determination.

In Mirpur, a walk by the human rights activists was the hall mark of the day. Participants marched through city streets shouting slogans for the vibrant role of international human rights organizations to save innocent people of occupied Jammu & Kashmir from the ongoing and increased Indian reign of state terrorism.

Addressing a meeting of senior journalists condemned the continued rather increased human rights violations against the innocent Kashmiris including the media in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir State at the hands of the Indian occupying forces for last 75 years in general and since August 05, 2019 in particular.

They fervently condemned the brutal tactics to suppress the voice of press in occupied Jammu & Kashmir. They called upon the world community to take instant notice of the fast increased human rights abuses as well as continued reign of violence unleashed against the innocent people including journalists by the Indian troops in occupied valley.

The Speakers called upon India to immediately stop the barbarous activities in the occupied state and instead positively respond to resume the result oriented dialogue process with Pakistan in order to ensure the early peaceful resolution of the core issue of Kashmir through grant of the basic human right of self-determination to the people of the state committed by the international community

The Indian occupational forces had been violating the UDHR in the occupied territory for the last more than7 decades and cruelly killing, arresting, persecuting, pestering and degrading innocent Kashmiris of every age and masculinity for demanding their right to self-determination.

They reiterated the long standing demand by Jammu & Kashmir people granting them the opportunity to determine their future in accordance with their wishes and United Nations resolutions on Kashmir. They called upon the world community especially the international organizations, claiming to be the champions and custodians of human rights the world over, to play a due constructive role for immediate just settlement of the Kashmir issue without further delay.

Now it is time that the international community should realize the gravity of the situation in South Asia and should offer their due practical assistance rather than mere lip service for early peaceful resolution of this longstanding issue since the partition sub-continent.