This press release was put ou on 28 September 2011 by the ASSOCIATION OF PARENTS OF DISPLACED PERSONS, The Bund, Amira Kadal, Srinagar – 190001

In Pakistan the judiciary is attempting to provide justice to the family members of those who have been subjected to enforced disappearance. In 2008, the Chief Justice of Pakistan entered into confrontation with the then President of Pakistan for taking a pro-active stance against disappearances. That confrontation ultimately emboldened the judicial system in Pakistan to be more pro-active on human rights issues. This judicial intervention on enforced disappearances has created an atmosphere in Pakistan which has pushed Pakistani government to invite United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID). The UNWGEID recently concluded its first 10 day visit to Pakistan and have begun their investigations on enforced disappearances.

Indian government claims Pakistan is disaster for human rights but in the recent past Pakistan has allowed international organizations and institutions to probe human rights abuses. India being a democracy, has never allowed any transparency and accountability in Jammu and Kashmir. More than 8000 people have disappeared and there are more than 6000 unmarked graves and mass graves in Jammu and Kashmir; the government and the judicial system has so far taken no concrete measures to address the problem of enforced disappearances or any other human rights violations. Not even one case of enforced disappearance has been redressed and also the government continues to deny conducting DNA tests of the thousands of unmarked graves and mass graves across Jammu and Kashmir. The victims of human rights abuses have got disillusioned with the available mechanisms of justice in Jammu and Kashmir. The systems of justice in Kashmir have functioned against the interest of the aggrieved.

Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee during his visit to Srinagar asked the youth of Kashmir to move ahead and forget the dark days of violence… After perpetrating violence and injustices on the people of Jammu and Kashmir for years, the Indian President cruelly asks people to forget and move ahead, instead of directing the government to make systems of justice deliver. This is the extreme insensitivity of the Indian political elite, who claim Jammu and Kashmir to be an integral part but do not wish to redress the human rights abuses of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The systems of justice in India appear to be not meant for people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Families of the enforced disappearances demand that international community to pressurize Indian government to shun arrogance and injustice in Jammu and Kashmir and allow international institutions to probe human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir.

Spokesperson

Tahira Begum