rki.news
Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK); September 23: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been urged to maintain Jammu and Kashmir high on its international agenda and intensify diplomatic efforts for a peaceful and just settlement of the longstanding dispute in accordance with international law.
Addressing the OIC, representatives speaking on behalf of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) thanked the organization for its continued support for the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination.
Speaking in the OIC Contact Group Conference on New York late Tuesday, Senior APHC leader and the Kashmiri delegate Shamim Shawl said the measures taken since August 5, 2019 had altered the political and administrative framework of Jammu and Kashmir but, in their view, had neither resolved the underlying dispute nor diminished the relevance of the UN Security Council resolutions on the issue, says a message reaching and released to the media here on Wednesday.
She urged the OIC to focus on four priorities: reaffirming the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination; supporting international monitoring and UN access to assess the human rights situation; advocating fundamental freedoms and protection for journalists and activists; and strengthening diplomatic efforts for a peaceful and just resolution.
Shawl also called for justice and accountability, saying selective prosecution of legacy cases could not substitute for what they described as comprehensive redress for alleged systemic human rights violations.
Referring to cases including the Kunan Poshpora allegations, the Chanapora incidents and reports of enforced disappearances, She alleged that several cases involving alleged abuses remained unresolved or stalled, while some older cases had recently been reopened.
She further raised concerns over legal and procedural barriers to prosecuting security personnel, including provisions under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) requiring prior sanction for prosecution in specified circumstances
She said what they described as selective application of justice had contributed to perceptions of unequal accountability and deepened longstanding grievances among affected communities.
The representatives called on the OIC to pursue sustained diplomatic engagement and support human rights, justice and the right to self-determination, saying the people of Jammu and Kashmir looked to the organization for continued international solidarity and efforts towards a peaceful resolution.
