‘SAARC should address regional issues including Kashmir’
• Suggestions on alternative to hartals taken from all sections of society
• Blames mainstream parties for human rights violations
Terming denial of right to self determination as “biggest” human rights violation, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Wednesday accused United Nations of having double standards and failing to protect the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir.“UN was dancing to the tunes of few international powers and does whatever suits them,” Mirwaiz said while addressing during a seminar titled, “Human Rights Violations in Kashmir and indifference of International Community” at conglomerate’s office at Rajbagh, here.
He said he feels sorry for the double standards of UN, which has different scales for different people. “Their role for the Syria and Afghanistan is different while for East Timor it is different”.
The Hurriyat (M) chairman said UN has failed to come up to the expectations of the J&K people and has failed to take note of human rights violations committed by Indian forces in the state.
“Though it (UN) has started a year-long drive against human rights violations in the entire world under ‘Our Rights Our Freedoms Always campaign’ but it has failed to protect human, political, religious and economic rights of Kashmiris,” he said.
On alternative to hartals, Mirwaiz said suggestions have been taken from every section of the society. “We will send same suggestions to other parties and joint program will be announced as an alternate means of hartal”.
Welcoming the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan, he said any type of talks between the two countries on Kashmir would remain incomplete without the inclusion of real leadership of Kashmir.
“Kashmir should not be looked through the prism of security. It is a political issue. Even former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had realized that military approach is not solution to Kashmir dispute,” he said.
Mirwaiz said New Delhi must exhibit a flexible stand toward the Kashmir issue and understand that it was not an economic issue nor can it be pushed under the carpet. “They must realize that it was a political issue that needs a political solution.”
“Besides keeping people politically and economically deprived of their rights, India was also vandalizing our resources and its forces have not only occupied and polluted the picturesque health resorts of the Valley but also occupied and polluted the glaciers,” he alleged.
He hoped that UN would intervene for the resolution of issues like Kashmir and Palestine.
Mirwaiz demanded that South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should address the regional issue including Kashmir. “If bilateral issues are not discussed between the SAARC countries then there is no scope for this cooperation”.
He said denial of right to self determination to J&K people was the biggest human rights violations.
Taking a dig at mainstream politicians, Mirwaiz said instead of raising voice against the human rights violations in the Assembly, pro-India politicians have turned it (Assembly) in imposing the violations.
“All draconian law including AFSPA, PSA, TADA, POTA, which have been biggest reasons for human rights violation in J&K, have been passed by the Assembly,” he said.
Accusing Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed of making hollow slogans on revoking AFSPA from Kashmir, Mirwaiz said, “These black laws are being used to crush the will of people of Kashmir and peaceful protests were being dealt with pellets, tear smoke shells and pepper grenades”.
He blamed mainstream parties for the human rights violations.
As per the Amnesty International report 9500 people have been disappeared and 6500 unmarked graves have been found in the state.
Senior Hurriyat (M) leader, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, said principles of humanity demand that every human respects the rights of other humans irrespective of their political affiliations and religion.
“Where governments were involved in the violations of human rights to such an extent that they become routine, expecting them to respect human rights was too much,” he said.
Bhat said Hurriyat politics was based on the principles of accepting the views of others, holding proper consultations and evolving a consensus and respecting dissent. “The emancipated world too was arriving at the same conclusion of giving others space too”.
Hurriyat (M) leaders, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza , Hilal Ahmad War and Ghulam Hassan Mir also spoke on the occasion while Muhammad Musadiq Adil, Abdul Majeed Banday, Shahid-ul-Islam, Khaleel Muhammad Khaleel, Ghulam Nabi Zaki, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi were also present on the occasion.
Abdul Manan Bukhari conducted the proceedings of the seminar.
