Human Right situation
in Pakistani Administered Jammu and
Kashmir.
Presentation of Dr Shabir Choudhry in a Seminar held during UN Human Rights
Council 40th Regular Session on 13 March 2019, Palais des
Nations, Geneva.
Mr Chairman, Friends and colleague, peace and
blessings on all of you.
Situation of human rights in Pakistani Administered Kashmir and Gilgit
Baltistan has got from bad to worse. Whereas, Pakistan has banned extremist and
terrorist groups in Pakistan, but sadly these proscribed groups are allowed to roam
free, and intimidate people of Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistani Administered
Kashmir.
Government of Pakistan under section 11-B of Anti - Terrorism
Act has a right to declare any organisation as a Proscribed Organisation, if it
believes that the concerned organisation is involved in promotion of terrorism.
The National Counter Terrorism Authority in its notification of 05 March
2019, added Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation in
the proscribed list.
To surprise of many, on 26 Feb 2019, Balawaristan National Front (Abdul Hameed Khan Group) was also added
to this list.
So
far, Pakistan has declared 70 organisations as Proscribed organisations. It is
interesting that many of these organisations change their names and continue
with their work until such time that under international pressure Pakistan ban
them again.
For
example, Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation was added to the proscribed organisations
list on 05 March 2019; and on 06 March 2019, after one day, its leaders
established a new organisation with a new name – Al Anfaal Trust.
In
other words, international community and people are fooled with the imposition
of the ban, but in reality, almost all the leaders, aims and objectives,
constitution, infrastructure stays the same. The old name is replaced with the
new name, and the new organisation continues the job where its predecessor left
it.
Aljazeera in its report on
politics of Pakistani Administered Kashmir said, and I quote:
‘Political
parties seeking independence for the entire disputed territory of Kashmir from both Indian and Pakistani control
are facing a fresh round of intimidation and legal action in the
Pakistan-administered portion of the region.’ 1 Unquote
A bitter reality is that
electoral politics in so called Azad Kashmir is now dominated by Pakistani
political parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Pakistan
People's Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
This means local political
parties have lost political space. The nationalist parties are deeply divided,
and do not have electoral support because of various reasons, however,
politically they are relevant and dominate the political scene in Pakistani
Administered Kashmir.
Pakistan apparently is very interested in
fundamental rights of people of Kashmir
Valley living under the Indian administration; however, they seem to have a
little interest about fundamental rights of people of Gilgit Baltistan,
Pakistani Administered Kashmir.
Afzal Sulehria, President
of Kashmir National Party was sent to jail three times and faced court cases
for the last 16 years for having advocated for an independent Jammu and
Kashmir, he said, and I quote:
"We are
citizens of this state, we have lived here for thousands of years, generations
of our family have lived here, but the resources of this land, they are
apparently not for us. We are not citizens of Pakistan, as per the Pakistani
constitution, as per the United Nations resolution and as per our own laws. But
despite this, we have been arrested for treason and rebellion [against
Pakistan]." 2 Unquote
Afzal Sulehria and other
political activists of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan are charged with
"treason" or "sedition". Crime of these political activists
is that they love their motherland and want to see it free of occupiers and
oppressors.
Tariq Farooq, a
senior minister in the Pakistan Administered Kashmir government said:
"Anybody can do anything, claim anything, discuss anything in this
area. In our government, everybody has full fundamental rights to speak
anything which is related with human rights", he told Al Jazeera.
When he was asked if this
right of freedom extended to parties advocating for Pakistani forces to leave
Kashmir, Tariq Farooq said: "They can't say that". 3
Reality is that political
parties are allowed to hold rallies, but authorities threaten people to keep
away to ensure that the attendance is low.
Waqar Hussain Kazmi, Chief
Organiser for the United Kashmir Peoples National Party, said Pakistan's
treatment of pro-freedom activists mirrored that of neighbouring India. He
further said:
"We are
the sons of this soil, but over here, we are accused of being [Indian
intelligence] agents. And on their side, we are accused of being [Pakistani
intelligence] agents."
One Azad Kashmiri
journalist and political activist hit the nail on its head, and said: Only
freedom we have in Azad Kashmir is that we can praise Pakistan; and use foul
language against India and ridicule them.
Mr Chairman, I thank you.
Writer is
a renowned writer and author of many books. He is also President Foreign
Affairs Committee of UKPNP; and Chairman South Asia Watch, London.
Reference:
2. Ibid
3. Ibid
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