ISLAMABAD, Feb 23  :  The Legal Forum for Oppressed Voices of Kashmir (LFOVK) Tuesday extended its gratitude to foreign minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu for expressing the aspirations of Kashmiris at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to seek an end of illegal Indian occupation from Jammu and Kashmir.

“We reiterate our call to the Indian government to ease the current restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir. We wish the resolution of the issue through peaceful means on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions and legitimate expectations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” said a news release while quoting Turkey foreign minister address to 46th session of the UNHRC on February 22.

The Turkey statement made on first day of the two-weeks long UNHRC session brought joy to millions of Kashmiris that there were still many who stand for justice and care for oppressed and persecuted communities.

It comes on the heels of observations made by Genocide Watch (an independent US-based watch dog) that; “The Indian government’s actions in Kashmir have been an extreme case of persecution and could very well lead to genocide. At present the [Kashmir] valley is suffering from a ‘pre-genocidal’ situation.”

Turkey’s stand on Kashmir should awaken the UNHRC, and world community, on Kashmir which must call a special session to discuss the humanitarian crisis in the region and seek implementation of right to self-determination in the disputed region, it added.

The LFOVK sought establishment of war crimes tribunal under UNHRC and international support to prosecute the Indian occupational forces to take them to task for the heinous crimes committed in the occupied territory.

These vicious crimes must shake conscious of UNHRC members and they must do what is necessary: hold India accountable.

According to LFOVK research, more than 470 people, including armed rebels and occupational Indian army troops, were killed in gunfights and “staged” clashes in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020.

The deceased included 232 suspected armed rebels who were killed from January 1 to December 30, 2022.

Indian forces also killed some 65 civilians “extra-judicially”, meaning in staged gunfights.

A total of 2,773 people were detained and arrested by Indian forces and put in different jails across India during last year.

The Indian forces launched 312 so-called cordon and search operations, and cordon and destroy operations, which resulted in 124 clashes between the Indian occupational forces and the suspected armed rebels.

Kashmiris stand with the people, government and leadership of Turkey under its President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has become voice of Kashmiris at appropriate forums by seeking attention of international community towards Kashmir and reminded them of promises made to Kashmiris since 1947.