ISLAMABAD: A visiting European delegation has stressed the need for stronger global engagement to amplify the voices of the Kashmiri people, urging scholars, researchers and interns to actively connect with international think tanks, academic institutions and media platforms to highlight ground realities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation made these remarks during a visit to the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) in Islamabad, where members were briefed on the institute’s research, advocacy and capacity-building work, as well as the prevailing human rights situation in the occupied territory.
KIIR Chief Altaf Hussain Wani provided an overview of recent developments in IIOJK, drawing attention to documented human rights violations and the challenges faced by the Kashmiri population.
The European delegation comprised journalists, human rights activists and former European parliamentarians, including Cedric Gerbehaye from Belgium, Marjan Lucas and Anna Olegovna from the Netherlands, Ryszard Henryk Czarnecki from Poland, Bjorn Anders Hultin from Sweden, Carl Hultin from Belgium, Endre Barcs from Hungary, and Ali Raza Syed, Chairman of the EU Kashmir Council.
The visitors appreciated KIIR’s sustained efforts and encouraged participants of the KIIR Internship Program to build direct linkages with international universities, research centres and media outlets to project Kashmiri voices at the global level.
Addressing young scholars, members of the delegation emphasized the importance of local ownership of documentation and storytelling, saying that Kashmiris themselves must take responsibility for narrating their experiences and realities to the world.
During the visit, survivor testimonies and a collection of KIIR reports and publications on the human rights situation in the region were shared with the delegation. Both sides expressed their commitment to continued dialogue and agreed to explore opportunities for academic collaboration, policy engagement and support for young researchers working on Kashmir-related issues.
