Daily Times

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan strongly denounced the abhorrent and ruthless killing of innocent people by Indian forces in Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK) on Sunday.

“India wants to frighten people of IHK and weaken their freedom sentiments but it will never succeed in its evil designs. The latest wave of brutalities against the innocent people is nothing but a state sponsored terrorism,” AJK President Sardar Masood Khan said while reacting over the cold blooded killing of over 10 people and wounding scores of others in Pulwama district of IHK.

Terming the Pulwama massacre by Indian occupation forces as grave violation of human rights, he said gruesome act of terror has unveiled brutal face of India.

“It is high time that the United Nations (UN) intervene and establish a commission of inquiry in the light of recommendation by the office of the UN high commissioner for human rights to halt Indian state sponsored terrorism,” he demanded.

“If the international community fails to act swiftly, the concept of human rights, respect for humanity and human dignity will be left irrelevant. The UN is duty bound to protect the human rights of the people all over the world and Kashmir is no exception,” he emphasised.

Paying rich tributes to those who have offered supreme sacrifices of their lives in IHK, Sardar Masood Khan said the sacrifices of precious human lives will not go waste and their struggle for freedom and justice will crown with success one day.

He also expressed solidarity with the families of scores of those injured in the brutal forces actions.

The president said that Pulwama massacre has exposed once again the false claims of rulers in New Delhi that everything is normal in Kashmir. The fact is that death, destruction and playing havoc with precious human lives has been a norm in Kashmir for long.

Saying that India is seeking military solution of Kashmir and wants to crush freedom struggle of Kashmir with brutal force, Masood Khan said India is wrong to assume this as people of Kashmir are determined to take their struggle to its logical conclusion.

“Taking lives of innocent people is abhorrent and intolerable,” Khan said, adding that Indian occupation forces stationed in IHK backed by unbridled powers under the black laws are committing crimes against humanity and unleashing fear among the people of Kashmir.

He paid tributes to the resolute leadership of Joint Resistance Movement (JRM) for their firm resolve; AJK president endorsed the long march call given by JRM to protest Pulwama carnage. He said that continuous bloodshed in IHK is equally a matter of deep worry and concern for the government and people of AJK and Pakistan.

Published in Daily Times, December 17^th2018.