Kashmir and Human Rights

Kashmir issue is an issue of human rights. At the time of the partition of the Sub-continent in 1947, the Princely States were given a free choice to decided about their future. It was decided that the rulers will join either India or Pakistan with the consent of the majority of the inhabitants. As, Kashmir was an overwhelmingly a Muslim majority state, the Hindu Maharaja of Kashmir Harri Singh with out the consent of the people joined India. The war broke out between the forces of Mahraja and Kashmiri freedom fighters. India went  UN beseeching  meditation. The UN Security Council after listening to the pleas of India and Pakistan passed the resolution granting an inalienable right to Self- determination to the Kashmiris through free and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices. India is a signatory of the pledge. Since past six decades, India has declined to implement the UN resolutions on Kashmir.
The illegal, inhumane, undemocratic and forcible occupation of Kashmir by India is a hall mark for the world peace. The draconian laws imposed on the hapless Kashmiris call for our immediate attention. The violent repression of the Kashmiris at the hands of Indian brutal forces invites the attention of the human rights organizations. The genocide, torture, arson, rape, illegal detentions, extra- judicial killings, illegal detentions and economic strangulation of the Kashmiris by Indian occupations forces negate and nullify the tall Indian claims of being the largest democracy of the world. As both the countries are nuclear powers and the danger of nuclear strike is imminent, it is the duty of the UN to immediately intervene and resolve the issue according to UN resolutions.
Dr. Maqsood Jafri
Islamabad