Muzaffarabad
The attention of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been drawn through a letter towards the long-standing dispute over Jammu and Kashmir in South Asia, which poses a big threat to peace, stability and security of the region.
The letter written jointly by the leaders of Kashmir Peace and Justice Forum, Jammu Kashmir Association of Divided Families, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf AJK and Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference urged the UN chief to prevent the Indian government to respect the inalienable rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Similarly, the United Nations must restrain India in line with UN resolutions to take concrete measures for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu Kashmir.”
The letter begins as: “We, the people of the divided state of Jammu Kashmir take this opportunity to invite your attention towards our issue, a long-standing dispute of South Asia and a big threat to the peace, stability and security of the region.
The people of Jammu Kashmir have been struggling for getting their inalienable and inevitable right to self-determination, promised to them by India, Pakistan, and the international community.
However, despite honoring its pledge made to Kashmiris and the international community by creating an environment conducive to implement United Nations (UN) resolutions, India waged a continuous war against the unarmed civilian population of Jammu Kashmir.”
“Moreover, unabated torture and killings, arbitrary arrests, custodial killings, sexual harassment and assaults, and continued persecution of the civilian population, mostly youngsters, by the Indian forces have become a routine affair in the Indian-held territory.
In addition, India recently took rapid measures to erode the status and change the demography of the territory,” the letter said.
“The actions of the Indian government in Jammu Kashmir are not merely a violation of UN resolutions; its also the worst form of persecution of humans and their rights.
Such acts are the constant sources of agony, pain, and stress for the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” it added.
“Keeping in view the aforementioned facts, we the people of Jammu Kashmir call upon Your Excellency to take urgent steps to get the Kashmir issue resolved in accordance with the wishes of the people of Jammu Kashmir by providing them the right to self-determination in line with the UN resolutions on Kashmir,” said the letter, which was signed by Tanveer-ul-Islam, Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Peace and Justice Forum, Arif Bahar, President Jammu Kashmir Association of Divided Families, Khawaja Faroog Ahmed, senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf AJK and Mian Kareemullah Qureshi, senior Leader Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference.—KMS
