Altaf Ahmed Bhat pays tribute to Chota Bazar massacre victims

ISLAMABAD: Senior All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader and Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement chairman Altaf Ahmed Bhat has paid tribute to those killed in the Chota Bazar massacre and to Tufail Ahmad Mattoo, saying the sacrifices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir for freedom, justice and dignity would not be forgotten.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Bhat described June 11 as a painful reminder of the human toll borne by people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. He said that on this date in 1991, Indian forces opened indiscriminate fire in Srinagar’s Chota Bazar area, killing 32 civilians, including women and children. He added that more than three decades later, the victims’ families were still awaiting justice and that those responsible had not been held accountable.

Referring to the 1991 killings, Bhat said the episode was not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of repression directed at suppressing what he called the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

"The Chota Bazar Massacre was not merely an isolated incident; it was part of a systematic campaign of repression aimed at silencing the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The blood of innocent civilians spilled on that day remains a stain on the conscience of the international community," he said.

Tribute to Tufail Ahmad Mattoo

Bhat also paid tribute to Tufail Ahmad Mattoo, describing the 17-year-old student as a symbol of suffering and resilience in Kashmir. He said Mattoo was killed on June 11, 2010, after being hit by a tear-gas shell fired by Indian forces near Saida Kadal in Srinagar.

According to Bhat, Mattoo’s killing triggered widespread protests across the occupied territory, during which more than 120 civilians were killed by Indian forces. He said the teenager’s death drew international attention to the situation in the region.

"Tufail Mattoo was not carrying a weapon; he was carrying dreams for his future. His tragic death exposed the reality of state violence in occupied Kashmir and awakened the conscience of millions across the world," Bhat said speaking about Mattoo.

Call for accountability

Bhat said Kashmir’s recent history included incidents ranging from Chota Bazar to Hawal, Gawkadal, Bijbehara and Handwara, alongside what he described as custodial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and collective punishment. He said that despite what he called overwhelming evidence of serious human rights abuses, victims and their families continued to be denied justice.

He also referred to reports issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2018 and 2019, saying they called for an independent Commission of Inquiry into serious and systematic human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Bhat said those recommendations had not been implemented, which had allowed impunity to continue.

He further said that under the BJP-led government, repression in IIOJK had intensified through arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, property confiscations, curbs on civil liberties, and the targeting of political, religious and educational institutions.