JKLF- condemns killing of civilians across the ceasefire Line, and in Indian held Jammu Kashmir.
London (5 February 2018)
The JKLF has strongly condemned the ongoing firing and shelling across the ceasefire line between the Indian and Pakistani forces in Jammu Kashmir, and violent suppression of political dissent by Indian forces in Indian held part of the forcibly divided country. In a statement issued by the head of JKLF’s Diplomatic Bureau from London today, the JKLF has called on the United Nations to ensure safety of civilians both inside Indian held Jammu Kashmir, and along both sides of the ceasefire line as a priority, through strengthening the role of its UNMOGIP contingent in the region. The JKLF has called on the UN to institute urgent measures to demilitarise the ceasefire line and demand assurances from the opposing armies for safety of civilians in the border areas.
The statement also took a strong note of the continuing deaths of innocent civilians in Shopian and elsewhere in the Valley of Kashmir at the hands of the Indian army. And termed the current situation intolerable, and unbecoming of a civilised world when civilians are deliberately targeted by a professional army, whether in Shopian, Pulwama, Kupwara, Handwara, Bandipur in Indian held Jammu Kashmir, or in Jagalpar Kuiratta, Nykyal, Poonch, Neelam valley or indeed many parts of Pakistan administered Jammu Kashmir. The only result of such military actions is death and injury to innocent civilians of all ages. The international community has a moral and legal responsibility to censure those responsible for causing misery, death and desolation to innocent lives.
The JKLF statement pointed out that for seventy years, India and Pakistan are locked in conflict over their claims and counter claims on Jammu Kashmir. Both countries have fought full scale wars, and daily exchanges of fire by their armies along the almost five hundred miles long cease-fire line, makes it absolutely impossible for tens of thousands of civilians, to lead a normal existence. Many lives are destroyed through death and destruction. Children whose parents put them to bed at night are found dead in the mornings with bullets and bomb shrapnels pierced through their tiny bodies. This carnage of innocent lives takes place because Indian and Pakistani armies are deployed eyeball to eyeball along the ceasefire line.
The JKLF statement added that the Indo-Pakistan confrontation causes immense suffering and miseries for people on both sides with nothing in sight by way of redress and justice. The entrenched positions of both countries have rendered 20 million forcibly divided people invisible, which is nothing less than a tragedy of epic proportions for Jammu Kashmir- a country- as big as Great Britain in size. Indian and Pakistani military presence in Jammu Kashmir is a constant physical and psychological threat, and danger to the safety and wellbeing of the people. Their presence is also an impediment to peace in the region and the world as both countries are nuclear powers.
The JKLF statement concluded by exhorting the United Nations to take urgent actions to disengage Indian and Pakistani military forces from the civilian population not only on the borders across both sides of the ceasefire line, but also force Indian military into cantonments. The JKLF urged the United Nations to appoint a special rapporteur to investigate the many violations of basic human rights of the people of Jammu Kashmir. The statement called on the international community to persuade India and Pakistan to provide unhindered access to the international and local media to report freely on the current situation on the ceasefire line.
Zafar Khan: Head of Diplomatic Bureau, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front –JKLF-
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