Hurriyat (M) has demanded the appointment of a UN Human Rights special representative for Kashmir to look in to the grotesque Human Rights abuses by the government forces in Kashmir.
The demand was put forward by Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, Convener Hurriyat (M) PaK chapter while addressing a special meeting on the sidelines of 37th session of UN Human Rights Council currently in progress, at the UN Headquarters Geneva to bring to the notice of international human rights organizations and groups the worst form of Human Rights Violations being committed by the Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. As a rare gesture, Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights attended the meeting. Besides, 500 representatives of the civil society across the globe also participated on the occasion.
Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, while addressing the meeting raised the issues of extra judicial killings, fake encounters, enactment of draconian laws, indiscriminate use of Pellet Guns, and denial of right to travel for APHC leaders in Kashmir. He told the conference that Indian forces enjoy complete impunity and this situation has drastically increased human rights violations in Kashmir. He demanded the appointment of a Special UN Representative on the situation in Kashmir.
The meeting assumes significance because Zeid Al-Hussein holds the distinction of breaking United Nations’ half-century of silence on Kashmir when he added Jammu & Kashmir to a formal list of urgent humanitarian crises, along with conflicts like Syria and Myanmar, in his policy statement in September 2016. The High Commissioner created a second history when he sustained the focus on Kashmir throughout 2017, culminating with his announcement this month that the UN will be launching a major repot on the situation in Kashmir in June 2018. The UNHRC will hold its next session in June.