ISLAMABAD: Members of the European Parliament strongly censured the Indian government’s continuous obduracy in denying the Kashmiris their fundamental right to self-determination as guaranteed by United Nations Security Council resolutions.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a special debate of the plenary of the European Parliament held at Strasbourg, France on the issue of Kashmir after 12 years, members of the European Parliament demanded the immediate lifting of the lockdown, restoration of normalcy, fundamental rights, communication blackout, and freedom of movement and release of political prisoners in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK).
Member of the Council of the European Union Tytti Tuppurainen read out a statement on behalf of the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on the situation in Kashmir.
She said that India had been violating fundamental human rights in Kashmir since August 5.
She said that India had deployed additional troops in the occupied valley besides on the Line of Control (LOC).
She said that the situation had not returned to normalcy as reports were pouring in about the arrests of political leaders, students and activists.
She called for the EU to work with Pakistan and India to defuse further escalation and engage both parties for a peaceful settlement of the dispute in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
She added, restrictions imposed by the Indian government on the Kashmiri people were of grave concerns to them and the European parliament high representative had already taken up the issue with India’s external affairs minister in Brussels.
“The EU should demand lifting of the restrictions by restoring basic human rights, restoration of all social services and freedom of movement,” Tuppurainen said, adding that no one could afford another escalation over IOK.
Concluding her statement, she said that the EU would continue to monitor the situation and would make every effort to avoid escalation in the region.
Traian Basescu of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats, categorically termed the situation in IOK as alarming and unacceptable.
He said that the continuous trampling of fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people continued unabated and warned that due to escalation two nuclear-armed powers had come to a head to head conflict.
Member of the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Maria Arena also expressed concerns over arrests in the occupied valley where hospitals and houses were running out of basic needs including medicines and foodstuff.
The deployment of ten million Indian soldiers had turned the valley into the world’s most militarised zone.
She warned that the situation was made more dangerous by Modi’s government after it revoked the autonomous special status of IOK.
Shaffaq Mohammad of the Renew Europe Group said being a Kashmiri himself, the situation in IOK pained him greatly.
“Kashmir is in real crises as the sufferings of the local people has been surging,” he said.
Mohammad called upon the EU to stand by the people of IOK and ensure security and stability in the region.
He demanded that Kashmiris be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination.
Moreover, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance’s member Gina Dowding also voiced concern and said the EU could be a facilitator in the process by pulling them out of darkness.
She said that reports about rapes and other crimes being committed by Indian forces in IOK were appalling.
“Mobile phone services are shut down and there is a complete lockdown,” she said.
She demanded the restoration of all basic rights of Kashmiris and urged the EU to play its role in ending the crisis there.
Bernhard Zimniok of Identity and Democracy Group maintained that the Kashmir dispute remained unresolved in the last seventy years with the occupied valley witnessing countless deaths.
“The EU could support the peace process to resolve the issue between the two countries,” he said.
Confederal Group of the European United Left’s member Idoia Villanueva Ruiz stressed upon peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the international resolutions.
Richard Corbett, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, said that the coercive step taken by the Indian government was a stain on Indian democracy.
“The only viable and permanent solution was to allow the Kashmiris their right to self-determination in line with the UNSC resolutions after the issue was taken by India to the UN,” he said.
He also demanded implementation of those resolutions.
Phil Bennion, another member, also demanded the lifting of the curfew and release of all the political leaders in the occupied Kashmir.
He demanded that the EU delegation should be allowed to visit IOK.
European Conservatives and Reformists Group’s Nosheena Mobarik said the EU always upheld its treaties, so it should also press for implementation of UN resolutions on Kashmir.
She held India responsible for its bellicose attitude and destruction in occupied Kashmir.
She further called upon the EU to set aside its apathy and ensure the Kashmiris their right to self-determination which was denied by India.
Giuliano Pisapia, member of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament along with Anthea Mcintyre and other members also stressed upon hectic diplomatic efforts on part of the EU to resolve the decades-old dispute which could destabilise the whole region.
Referring to the UN human rights commission reports about human rights violations in IOK, they lamented that these violations continued with indiscriminate use of pellet guns against innocent people including infants.
No one was held responsible for maiming and killing of innocent people.
Sylviane H Ainardi particularly mentioned that Kashmir was a disputed region as recognised by the UN and said that it was incumbent upon this house to uphold fundamental rights of the Kashmiris.
