India is also responsible for human rights abuses

India is also responsible for human rights abuses

Geneva       17 March 2014

After the speeches of experts an interactive dialogue ensued in a seminar held during the UN Human Rights session in Geneva. Dr Shabir Choudhry who was chairing the seminar, in a reply to a question said:

To us presence of India and Pakistan in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir State is against the law and against our wishes. However, it is strange that those who speak against the Indian wrong doings in Kashmir are promoted as patriots and leaders; and those who speak for all the citizens of the entire divided Princely State and advance pro people and pro peace policies are castigated as not loyal, and anti Kashmiri struggle.

I agree that India has failed to fulfil its responsibilities assumed under the Provisional Accession and the UNCIP Resolutions. Prime responsibility of every government is to protect life, liberty and property of its citizens. Although Jammu and Kashmir is not legally part of India, but India has responsibility to ensure that innocent people do not become victims of inequality, injustice and oppression.

India’s claim to be the biggest democracy is tarnished when people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to suffer and human rights abuses are still taking place? We don’t know the exact number of people killed since the start of the Pakistani sponsored militancy in 1988; and how many of them were militants, and how many were innocent civilians.

In any case, it is responsibility of the rulers to maintain law and order, and ensure that innocent people do not suffer; and where innocent citizens are victims the offenders must be made accountable for their actions. Human rights abuses, no matter where they take place should be opposed and condemned.

In this interactive dialogue the following people took active part: KNP Chairman Abbas Butt, UKPNP Chairman Shaukat Kashmiri, JKDLP leader Junaid Qureshi, Human rights defenders Jamil Maqsood, Altaf Wani, Amjad Yousaf, Bilal Baloch and Mr Jacob.

Dr Shabir Choudhry replying to a question during interactive dialogue; Mr Abbas Butt is on his left and Mr Maurice Katala on the right.