ISLAMABAD: Leader of House in Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq on Monday said that the new uprising in Kashmir is not just the result of recent events, but a testimony to the longstanding human rights violations by Indian forces.
Addressing a seminar organised by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) in collaboration with Youth Forum for Kashmir (YFK), he said that the last century was witness to scores of examples where the use of force by colonial powers was eventually defeated by the people’s struggle for freedom.
He said that freedom was a basic human right and no force can deprive people from this just right. It is only a matter of time when sense prevails and the oppression is defeated by struggle through diplomacy, democracy and rule of law, he added.
“When the dispute of Kashmir was first brought to the United Nations, the Security Council along with the United States had decided that the people of Kashmir will have the right to self-determination. Unfortunately, following ill-intent and unjust lobbying by the Indians, it never happened,” he said.
He said that despite all the diplomatic and international support across various eras, the Indian forces remain engaged in a sustained campaign of slaughter, rape, arson and destruction claiming around 70,000 innocent lives and injuring thousands others.
He said that India imposed one of the most brutal curfews ever recorded in history following the murder of Burhan Wani shaheed in July 2016.
He further added that the use of pellet guns, teargas shells, rubber bullets and even assault rifles, killed over 85 civilians, injuring and blinding hundreds. “Such violent and aggressive behavior of Indian forces against innocent Kashmiris shows how hostile India has been to just demand of Kashmiri people”.
He said that Pakistan has repeatedly urged the international community, the developed countries and particularly the UN, to take strict notice of the endless Indian aggression on innocent civilians including women and children. He expressed hope that soon the sacrifices of Kashmiris shall bear fruit and the cruelties will end.
Senator Abdul Qayyum, MNA Ali Muhammad Khan, Hurriyat Conference leader Altaf Hussain Wani, ISSI Chairman Khalid Mahmood and YFK Executive Director Ahmed Qureshi also spoke on the occasion.
Abdul Qayyum in his remarks said that India has to give right to self-determination to the people of Kashmir. The world is well aware of atrocities being committed by the Indian occupied forces in Indian held Kashmir; however, it has remained silent for decades, he said. He added that Kashmiris have rendered valuable sacrifices for their freedom, adding that the world has a double standard as they give priority to their business interests while denying the rights to Kashmiri people.
He said that Kashmir is one of the oldest unresolved issues pending with the United Nations.
Other speakers paid rich tribute to the sacrifice of Kashmiri martyrs, especially Burhan Wani, whose efforts rekindled the freedom movement of Kashmiris.
The event was attended by diplomats, scholars, researchers, students and a large number of people from different walks of life.
