JKLF Press Conferene in London

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front’s statement issued to press and media at its London Secretariat on the arrest and judicial remand of JKLF Chairman Mr Yasin Malik along with his senior colleagues, under section 307 of the IPC, in Indian occupied Jammu Kashmir.

London, 31 December 2015:

1: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front-JKLF- strongly condemns the arrests and charges of ‘attempt to murder and waging of war against the Indian state,’ on its Chairman Mr Yasin Malik and other senior JKLF leaders. Mr Malik along with his colleagues was remanded in judicial custody for 10 days and shifted to Srinagar central jail on 27 December 2015.

We demand an immediate release  of  Mr Yasin Malik and his colleagues who include, Vice Chairman Mr Shaukat Ahmed Bakhshi, Zonal President  Mr Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Zonal General Secretary Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Zonal organiser Mr Bashir Kashmiri, Mr Ghulam Muhammad Dar, Mr Nazir Ahmed Rather, Mr Ashraf Hussain and Mr Munib Javid Khan. We demand that all charges are dropped against the JKLF leaders.

2: Mr Malik and his colleagues were initially arrested on 25 December 2015 when the JKLF Chairman was leading a peaceful protest demonstration against the violence and terror perpetrated by the ‘Village Defence Committee. The VDC specifically operate in the Jammu province in the Muslim populated areas. JKLF has taken a strong position against the anti-people activities, violence and terrorism of the VDC.

3: During the JKLF protest rally on 25 December 2015, police resorted to heavy handed force by using pepper guns and tear gas on peaceful demonstration. The police also targeted hundreds of worshippers at Friday prayers in the nearby two large mosques- the Jamia ahle-hadis and the haji mosque- injuring many people.

4: The VDC enjoy full support and patronage of the Indian government and the military as part of the ‘civil defence force’. Since 1995 the VDC have committed thousands of violent acts, rapes and lootings in the Jammu province.

5: This state supported terrorist set up has over 2,000 FIRs lodged against it over the past twenty years, and not a single case has been investigated by the Indian state and its local quislings against this so called civil defence force.

6: The VDC with RSS connections operate in all the districts of Jammu with substantial Muslim population, and commit acts of murder and arson in these areas with impunity. They have committed acts of violence against drivers with fatal results and set their vehicles on fire over the past few months.

7: They killed a mother and her small son in the Budal area of Rajauri district, and continue to harass families in the region. The 25 December 2015 rally led by Mr Malik was taken out specifically against the mother and son murder in Budal.

8: The terror of hired VCD killers and terrorists is, over and above the unabated violence perpetrated by 700,000 Indian military and para military forces deployed in Kashmir. This unprecedented militarisation of the territory by India, has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths since 1988. Thousands of people are missing. There are hundreds of unmarked graves all over Indian occupied Kashmir of victims of extra judicial killings and faked encounters.

9:  There are over 7,000 unmarked mass graves and over 8,000 disappeared persons in Kashmir today. The association of Parents of Disappeared Persons –APDP- continues to demand answers about their loved ones who were picked up by the occupation authorities and have since vanished from the face of the earth!

The International Peoples Tribunal on Human rights and Justice in Kashmir-IPTK- in its 2009 report entitled “Buried Evidence” accounted for almost 3,000 bodies in 2,700 graves, just in the districts of Badndipura, Baramulla and Kupwara alone.

10: This long and continuing pain and agony of Kashmiri people is a consequence of Indian occupation. JKLF Chairman has exposed the reality of the brute face of military occupation and the ugly face of Indian democracy in Kashmir

11: The trumped up charges slapped on Mr Malik and his 8 colleagues are not a coincidence. They are part of India’s vindictive and malicious actions, to malign the peaceful, popular and democratic freedom struggle and deny the JKLF, political space and engagement with Kashmiri masses.

12: These concocted charges are preposterous, and are part of a deliberate and pernicious strategy of the Indian occupation apparatus and its quislings in Kashmir, to silence Mr Yasin Malik who is a towering figure, for the pro freedom and anti-status quo political struggle in Jammu Kashmir.

13: In the light of current rapprochement between India and Pakistan, the nature of these charges against the JKLF leadership, is a clear indication that the Will of Kashmiri people and their sentiment, has no place in bilateral framework of proposed Indo- Pak “Bilateral Comprehensive Dialogue” process.

14: We unambiguously and unequivocally, make it clear that Kashmiris will not accept Indo- Pak bilateralism over the future status of their country, as it is not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan.

15: The future political status of Jammu Kashmir is an internationally recognised issue, whose political and constitutional status can only be decided through an unfettered democratic decision by twenty million Kashmiris as they are the main affected party in the dispute.

16: It is quite ironic therefore that the charge of ‘waging war against the Indian state’ has been levelled against Mr Yasin Malik. In reality however it is the Indian state that continues to wage war on the people of Jammu Kashmir.

17: Mr Malik on the other hand has struggled for the rights, aspirations and dignity of his people through peaceful means.

18:  Mr Malik renounced all forms of violence in the Kashmiris’ struggle for self-determination more than twenty years ago. Therefore no amount of state harassment and oppression will deter the JKLF leadership from representing the genuine sentiments for freedom, dignity and the exercise of the unfettered democratic Will of Kashmiris, across both sides of the Line of Control-LoC-.

19: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front will mount a vigorous and concerted campaign at political and democratic level throughout the world to expose the oppression and brutality of the Indian occupation in Jammu Kashmir and the repressive and draconian methods with which the JKLF and its leadership has been subjected to over the years, and in particular the current incarceration of Mr Yasin Malik and his colleagues under section 307 of the IPC

20: Throughout the world JKLF local organisations and branches have been informed and asked to undertake appropriate and suitable political and diplomatic campaigns and high light the nefarious actions being taken by the Indian government through its quisling administration Kashmir.

21:  In the UK where around a million Kashmiris reside, and who are quite well  embedded within the British political system,  British Chapter of the JKLF has been asked to mount a concerted incremental political campaign, and also assist and   contribute towards diplomatic efforts for an immediate release of the JKLF leadership. Similarly Europe and North America based organisation will engage with the local political and diplomatic fraternity, and press and media to gain support for the immediate release of Mr Malik and his colleagues.

22: The nature and method of campaigning will be decided by branches and the zonal organisations based on their situation and circumstances both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Paramount objective however, will be to ensure that no one misjudges or misreads the determination and the desire of 20 million Kashmiris for freedom, and to assert their absolute right to decide on the political and constitutional status and reunification of their country-Jammu Kashmir- peacefully.

Prof Zafar Khan
(Chairman)
JKLF Diplomatic Bureau
119-123 Cannon Street Road,
(Basement North)
London
E1 2LX

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