Mirwaiz asks UN, intl groups to probe
unmarked graves in JK
Srinagar,
April 19: The Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday
appealed United Nations and other international groups to probe presence of
unmarked graves in the Valley on the pattern of investigations conducted in Bosnia and Chechnya.
“About 9500
people have disappeared in the Valley so far. United Nations, Asia Watch,
International Court of Justice, Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and
other international groups should probe presence of unmarked graves in the
Valley. They should investigate who are
buried in these unmarked graves,” Mirwaiz said while addressing Friday
congregational prayers at historic Jamia Masjid.
He
said investigation on the pattern of Bosnia
and Chechnya
should be conducted to reveal identity of the people buried in these unmarked
graves. Urging United Nations to
thoroughly investigate all enforced disappearance cases in the State, Hurriyat
(M) chief said, “We have no faith in Indian judicial system. International
organizations should come forward and probe all the aspects regarding unmarked
graves”. He said it is the right of people to know all details of unmarked
graves. “We have the right to know the identity of the people buried in these
graves. The relatives of the disappeared people are still waiting for them.
Haven’t they a right to know the identity of people buried in these graves,” he
said.
Earlier,
International Peoples’ Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice, a human rights
watchdog in its report ‘Buried Evidence: Unknown, Unmarked, and Mass Graves”
had claimed to have to found 2700 unmarked and mass graves in 55 villages in north Kashmir, which
contained 2943 bodies. The government had last year admitted presence of
unmarked graves in Poonch and Rajouri districts by stating that there were 1486
such graves in Poonch and 594 in Rajouri.
Criticizing
reluctance of government in conducting DNA test of those buried in the unmarked
graves, Mirwaiz said Indian civil society should come forward and not shy away
under the garb of national interest.
He also
expressed concern over harassment being meted out to Kashmiris in different
parts of India.
. “Kashmiris whether he is a trader,
businessman, student is being harassed in every part of India. CID, police and other
agencies are creating problems for the people of the valley. It is very
unfortunate that people of Kashmir especially
youth are being implicated in false cases and made to serve their life in
jails. When authorities have nothing to prove against them, they are again
booked under another false case”.
Citing an
example of Latief Ahmad Waza, Mirwaiz said he has been in jail for last 16
years after being falsely implicated in Lajpat Nagar blast case. “He was
tortured for reading Holy Quran in the jail. It is the violation of basic human
rights,” he said. Alleging that prisoners of Valley are being denied basic
facilities, he asked Government of India (GoI) to fulfill their obligations
under Geneva Convention and provide adequate facilities to prisoners.
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