Kashmir Voice

Srinagar, February 20 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, Hindutva groups have ransacked properties worth millions of rupees belonging to the Muslim community in Poonch town.
According to media sources, the incident happened February 15, 2019, but could not be reported due to the internet suspension in the region. The Hindu rioters were resorted to arson and ransacking of the property of Muslims. According to the witnesses, the Hindutva rioters raised provocative and anti-Muslim slogans at Mohalla Alapir of Poonch town and destroyed around a dozen of cars apart from other material assets. Some of the rioters have reportedly been videographed by the locals while doing the criminal act. However, the locals said the police have not acted and no one has been arrested. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 20 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, the Joint Resistance Leadership while unveiling the brutal Indian acts carried out by its forces in the territory has said that pushing people to the wall is main reason behind the Kashmiri youth opting for the armed path.
According to media sources, the leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik in a joint statement issued after a meeting in Srinagar said, “Mothers, fathers and even political leadership have no role in this regard; however, the ball lies in the court of Indian political and military leadership.” The leaders said, “Aggressive policies of India and ban on political dissent are pushing Kashmiris to the wall and hence promoting worst kind of violence.”The meeting discussed present political situation and all its aspects. Deliberating upon the depressing political situation emerging after recent Pulwama blast and subsequent hostile statements from Indian prime minister and home minister, the JRL leaders said if it was possible to defeat a peoples movement by military oppression, police highhandedness, killings, massacres, and other tyrant means then no country including India would have tasted freedom and sovereignty. Referring to a press conference by Indian army core-commander along with senior police officers in which he has asked mothers and fathers to stop their children or otherwise be ready to shoulder their dead bodies, the leaders said that persuading young boys to refrain from treading some path is not in the hands of fathers, mothers or even political leaders; however, this ball also lies in the court of Indian political and military leadership who have chosen to choke every little space on political dissent in Kashmir. The JRL said in 2008 when Kashmiris at the behest of international community, big countries, diplomatic circles and even Indian civil society changed the outlook of their freedom struggle and started an exemplary peaceful resistance, Kashmiris were of the view that international community and Indian rulers would support this positive change but Indian rulers chose to suppress that peaceful peoples agitation by military and police might. “Hundreds of young and unarmed youth, children and women were killed; thousands maimed and jailed and people’s agitation was suppressed by military might.” Same oppression was repeated in 2010, the JRL said and added that during these peaceful political movements, thousands of young boys also faced the wrath of Indians and were jailed, tortured, booked under PSA and in many cases their mothers, sisters, brothers and fathers were abused and humiliated in front of them. This callous approach of Indian rulers actually pushed a whole generation to the wall and left no space for young ones but to join armed resistance, added JRL. The leaders said that from 2014, when BJP took over the reins in Delhi, it announced a hardcore policy against Kashmiris and immediately started anti-Kashmir actions under Operation All Out. “This operation was not only launched against armed youth but even peaceful political movement also became a target of this as besides killings hundreds, maiming and blinding thousands by pellets and bullets, blasting and burning down of residential houses and properties, thousands got arrested under PSA and even many agencies and institutions were used to cage more political leaders and cage them at jails outside Jammu Kashmir.” On the issue of removing so-called security of resistance leaders, the JRL said it was a non issue as it was India and its abettors who took the decision of deploying security without any request and also removed it on their own. JRL said the resistance camp is striving against the illegal Indian occupation peacefully and politically, and this move will not affect their struggle for freedom and self-determination in any manner. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 20 (Kashmir Voice): In occupied Kashmir, the Chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai has said that the Kashmir dispute can only be resolved by addressing it in its historical perspective.
According to media sources, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai in a statement issued in Srinagar said that instead of taking measures to resolve long pending issue in its historical perspective, India wants to thrust its choice through barrel of gun. “This arrogance and persistent denial can’t hold water for long and Delhi has to come to terms with the writing on the wall.” He said a delay in resolution of the long-running dispute has kept the people of whole South Asia hostage. Sehrai strongly condemned the sedition charges against four Kashmiri female students studying in Jaipur and in other Indian states saying, “No corner of India is safe for Kashmiris and they are being harassed everywhere in all possible ways.” “These actions reflect the communal and prejudiced thinking and mindset which has no moral justification,” he said and warned that if the harassment of Kashmiri students did not stop it would have a strong reaction in Kashmir. Meanwhile, over the growing complaints of attacks on Kashmiri people and students in Jammu and inside India, the Human Rights Commission of the occupied territory issued a notice to Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and other Home Department officials to submit a detailed compliance report regarding the safety of the students and the Kashmir people living outside of the territory. The notice was issued over the complaint of human rights activist, Mohammad Ahsan Untoo. KASHMIR VOICE

Brussels, February 20 (Kashmir Voice): Speakers at an official meeting arranged by the European Parliament have called for implementation of recommendations put forth in the June 2018 report of the United Nations’ Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) to conduct a comprehensive and independent and international investigation of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.
According to media sources, the official meeting was organized by Sub-Committee of Human Right of the European Parliament on Tuesday, 19th February 2019 in Brussels. The participants highlighted the terrible human rights situation in occupied Kashmir and reiterated the demand for establishing the inquiry commission in the light of OHCHR’s recommendations on Kashmir. Such formal gathering on Kashmir was for the first time after 2007 during which the issue of Kashmir was discussed publically at the EU parliament. The Tuesday’s discussion at EU Parliament Sub-committee specifically focused on the June 2018 report of the United Nations’ Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) on Kashmir. The Chairman of Kashmir Council Europe (KC-EU), Ali Raza Syed who attended the function in a statement in Brussels described it as a significant development in the context of Kashmir dispute. He said, this historic gathering on human rights violations of the Kashmiris at the EU Parliament would have a great impact in Europe in the context of rights of the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir. Ali Raza Syed also highly appreciated the efforts of member of European parliament (MEP) Mr Wajid Khan for effectively raising Kashmir issue in Europe. He said the meeting on the human rights violations in Kashmir at EU’s parliament human rights committee is an international recognition of rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Ms. Christine Chung, one of the authors of the report, who was specially invited for the occasion by the sub-committee, in her comments, highlighted the terrible human rights situation in the Indian-occupied Kashmir and reiterated the OHCHR’s recommendations for establishing a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive and independent international investigation of human rights violations in Kashmir. Participants of the gathering praised the report and emphasized for implementation of its recommendations. Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider Khan was also among the speakers. A seminar was also hosted by MEP Mr Wajid Khan at EU parliament on Tuesday during which he appreciated the efforts of AJK’s PM Raja Farooq Haider Khan and Kashmir Council EU on Kashmir dispute. Ali Raza Syed urged the international community to take necessary measures to stop human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. The world community especially the United Nation and EU should come forward and take step for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Meanwhile, a conference on Kashmir held at European Parliament in Brussels. It was organized by Jammu and Kashmir Self Determination Movement International in collaboration with Friends of Kashmir in European Parliament. The Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider participated in the conference as chief guest. KASHMIR VOICE

Srinagar, February 20 (Kashmir Voice): As the Kashmiri people are finding themselves at the receiving end of violence and threats at the hands of Hindu mobs in many Indian cities following the Pulwama blast, the Indians working and living in Kashmir valley are feeling safe and not a single case of anyone being threatened has come to the fore.
According to media sources, the Kashmiri students and businessmen alike are facing violence, harassment and assaults in many Indian cities and towns following the Thursday explosion in Pulwama that left more than 40 Indian paramilitary troops dead. The Kashmiri people have been targeted even in occupied Kashmir’s Jammu city and the fear that has gripped the city can be gauged by the fact that Jammu Muslim Waqf Council has closed its doors for the Kashmiris who are facing attacks in the city. Vikram, a street vendor from Indian state of Bihar who sells popcorns in the crowded Goni Khan area in Srinagar said he feared the same fate as that of some Kashmiri people who were threatened and beaten up in India. “We are five people living in one room. All of us are street vendors. As we were getting calls from family that tension is escalating in entire India and Kashmiris are on target, we sat in our room for two days,” he was quoted by a Srinagar-based English daily as having said. “An elderly man who has a shop in Goni Khan noticed that we are scared and are not coming out. He came to our room and said, ‘no one will dare to touch you. You are our guests here’ and after that we resumed our daily work.” Prasad, a shoemaker from India’s Haryana state, who has been working in Kashmir for 9 years said, “I am ashamed how madly our country is behaving. But this is all politics. No Kashmiri even touched us here.” While narrating an incident, Prasad who lives in a slum area of Lasjan said, “My family is also here – wife and two children. We were feeling cold the other day and one of the neighbours who live in a three-storey house saw that. He gave me some clothes and kerosene to burn the firewood and warm ourselves. Isn’t this slap on those goons who harass Kashmiris across India?” In Nowhatta area of Srinagar, a toy seller near Jamia Majid said, “Recently some boys came and shot my video wherein they were asking me ‘Has any Kashmiri harassed you ever? And I gave them a detailed interview saying, Kashmir is like a second home. I also told them that during the unrest of 2016 no one harmed us.” KASHMIR VOICE

Islamabad, February 20 (Kashmir Voice): The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Freedom League Chairman, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani has said that the RSS backed lynch mobs are being organised in Jammu and across India to thrash or lynch Kashmiris & the Muslims.
According to media sources, following is the complete text of the statement on the latest situation of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-India tensions: “It’s highly detrimental to regional peace and stability and condemnable that India being involved in & responsible for systematic ethnic cleansing, enforced disappearances, custodial killings, unmarked graves of numberless inhabitants, fake encounters, judicial murders, mutilation of the corpses, continuous crack-downs/search operations, raping and killing of innocent women, keeping thousands of people behind bars, sentencing people to life till death and enforcing draconian laws to curb the right to free speech, assembly, travel and other civil liberties of the Kashmiri Muslims in the occupied state, should in the aftermath of the Litherpore Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy create war hysteria and unleash poisonous propaganda as a pretext to further escalate state terrorism in awesome fashion, provoke, instigate, encourage prosecution and persecution of the Jammu Muslims, burn hundreds of vehicles of Kashmiris in Jammu, terrorise and evict Kashmiri traders, students from their rented houses or homes and shops, and ignoring Samjhotah Express 2007 carnage, spread anger waves against the Muslims throughout India. The RSS backed lynch mobs are being organised in Jammu and across India to thrash or lynch Kashmiris & the Muslims for reprisal. The Kashmir detainees or prisoners are being harassed and their life is under threat in different jails. Kashmiri students in different universities have confined for fear of being assaulted or lynched outside by the RSS goons. It’s equally harmful and condemnable to escalate tension with Pakistan to create war hysteria against regional and international peace and relevant world agreements by India. It’s in the best interests of India to protect life and property of all Kashmiris in the Indian cities and preserve and maintain communal harmony. In the interest of peace, India must restore all civil liberties to the Kashmiris to pave way for the right of self-determination which guarantees a durable peace in the region. At this crucial juncture of Pakistan-Indian history, when the borders of the two countries have become so vulnerable, the regional and international players and the UNO should sit together with Pakistan and India to brain storm the best possible just and durable political solution to the bleeding Kashmir dispute of the Pakistan-India independence century. It’s the ideal way to save unknown future lives of humanity in this region, failing which it has potential to destabilise and destroy every pretty idea, and not to speak of trade and commerce under this sky. Indian establishment believing in death and destruction of kashmiri humanity should mark the message in blood-letters that the fear of death among the Kashmiris has gone for good and lost scope in Kashmir. ” The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza speaking in a condolence meeting at Seer Hamdan area of Islamabad urged the resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with aspirations of the Kashmiris. KASHMIR VOICE