Daily Times

PODA-Pakistan, a human rights organisation, on Friday expressed deep concern over the Modi government’s action to revoke the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and particularly the deployment of additional troops, snapping of communication networks and imposition of curfew.

The PODA said that they believed in the right of all people to self-determination as one of the core principles of international law and supports this right for the people of Kashmir, it views the revocation of special status as an attack on the protected status of Kashmir that can alter the geography and demography of Kashmir and trample the rights of Kashmiri people.

The information and communication blackout and imposition of curfew in Kashmir by the Indian government raises additional alarm that the authorities are preparing to take extreme repressive measures to stifle all opposing voices. PODA strongly condemns the restrictions on basic freedoms of the people in Kashmir.

Freedom of Expression and Assembly are basic human rights recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) both signed and ratified by India.

These unsettling events on the other side of the Line of Control are causing extreme distress among the people living on the Pakistani side. The increased armed forces deployment by India and high alert in Pakistan is alarming for public. Such heightened tension between the two nuclear armed countries also poses a serious threat to peace and safety of the entire region and the world. We urge the United Nations to ensure peace in Kashmir and de-escalate militarised situation.

PODA is particularly concerned about the safety of women and children in Kashmir as women face double jeopardy in times of war all over the world. We urge all parties concerned to work towards a peaceful solution of this crisis and to ensure the right to life and dignity for Kashmiris. We call on all human rights defenders and peace activists to raise their voice for the rights of the oppressed Kashmiri people and for saving our region from the horrors of a looming war.