LONDON/BRUSSELS, APR 03 (DNA) – The executive members of Organisation of Kashmir Coalition (OKC), Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo and Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl, have expressed utter anguish and shock about the continued unlawful actions by the Indian government in occupied Kashmir.

Barrister Abdul Majeed Tramboo and Professor Nazir Ahmad Shawl in a communication forwarded to the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, urged him to intervene in the critical situation of occupied Kashmir that is rapidly developing due to outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.

They wrote in the communication to António Guterres that despite the live threat of COVID-19, thousands of Kashmiris (men, women and children) are huddled in jails in very appalling conditions; there exists no access to WHO and the Red Cross either to occupied Kashmir or any prisons in India.

They wrote that the Kashmiri leadership continues to be imprisoned either in various jails of India or the occupied territory or in their homes, the Indian government has announced to commence trumped criminal trials against some of the Kashmiri leaders including the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani, Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Muhammad Yasin Malik, who are seriously unwell but imprisoned, Chairman of Hurriyat forum Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, President of High Court Bar Association, Mian Abdul Qayoom, President of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party Shabbir Ahmed Shah (Prisoner of Conscience declared by Amnesty International), and Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front-R Farooq Ahmed Dar, and unbelievably, the Indian government has commenced the process of demographic change in occupied Kashmir by issuing a notification under Section 3A of the J&K Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order 2020 through which a person is deemed domiciled in occupied Kashmir who has resided there for a period of 15 years or has studied there for a period of 7 years; this domicile purported regulation shall apply to “children of those central government officials, all India services officers, officials of PSUs and autonomous body of central government, public sector banks, officials of statutory bodies, officials of central universities and recognised research institutes of central government who have served in Jammu and Kashmir for a total period of ten years or children of parents who fulfill any of the conditions.

Barrister Tramboo and Professor Shawl termed the actions of the Indian government absolutely contrary to and in breach of international laws and humanitarian laws including the treaties and conventions to which India is signatory.

They urged the UN Secretary General to ensure access of the International Red Cross to occupied Kashmir and to all the Indian prisons where Kashmiri prisoners are being kept.

The communication has also been forwarded to Madam Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Madam Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, President of UN Human Rights Council, Madam Ursula von der Leyen, President of European Commission, and Mr Yousef Bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen, Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. =DNA

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