UK Kashmiri leader highlights human rights abuses in Indian-occupied Kashmir

LONDON: A prominent UK-based Kashmiri leader has raised alarm over ongoing human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), calling on the international community to take notice of the deteriorating situation in the disputed territory.

Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, who serves as the President of the Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK, highlighted the plight of the Kashmiri people during his address, drawing attention to the systematic violations being committed by Indian forces in the occupied region.

Calls for international attention

The UK Kashmiri leader underscored the need for global powers and international organisations to intervene and hold India accountable for the abuses being perpetrated in IIOJK. He stressed that the people of Kashmir continue to suffer under India's heavy-handed military presence, which has resulted in widespread human rights violations.

Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry pointed to the suppression of fundamental freedoms, including restrictions on movement, communication blackouts, and the detention of political leaders and activists in the occupied territory. He noted that these measures have severely impacted the daily lives of ordinary Kashmiris.

Situation in IIOJK

The leader also drew attention to the broader political context, noting that India's unilateral actions in August 2019, when it revoked the special status of occupied Kashmir, have further exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the region. He argued that the international community's silence on the matter has emboldened Indian authorities to continue their repressive policies.

The UK-based Kashmiri diaspora has been actively campaigning for the rights of the Kashmiri people, organising demonstrations and lobbying efforts to bring international attention to the situation in IIOJK. Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry urged the British government and the European Union to play a more active role in advocating for the rights of Kashmiris.

He emphasised that the Kashmir dispute remains one of the longest unresolved conflicts on the United Nations agenda and called for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions that guarantee the right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir.

The leader also appealed to human rights organisations and the global media to continue documenting and reporting on the abuses taking place in IIOJK, stating that sustained international pressure is essential to bring about meaningful change in the region.