Urges GoI to raise issue internationally, mulls memorandum to United Nations
JAMMU, Jun 12: Expressing profound concern over the deteriorating situation in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), Chairman, National Sikh Front (NSF) and Senior Leader Bharatiya Janata Party Varinderjeet Singh, on Friday strongly condemned the reported violence, civilian killings, mass arrests and crackdown on protesters associated with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
In a statement issued here today, Varinderjeet Singh said that disturbing reports emerging from PoJK indicate that the region is witnessing an alarming humanitarian and democratic crisis. He said that the use of force against civilians, restrictions on civil liberties, communication blackouts and suppression of dissent have further aggravated the already volatile situation.
The NSF Chairman reminded the Government of India that Parliament, through unanimous resolutions adopted by both Houses, has consistently maintained that the entire territory of Jammu & Kashmir, including Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, is an integral and inseparable part of India. “If PoJK is an integral part of India, then the people residing there are also our own citizens in spirit, history and constitutional claim. Their sufferings cannot be ignored, nor can their voices be allowed to be silenced through bullets and intimidation,” he asserted.
Varinderjeet Singh said that irrespective of political differences or administrative disputes, the protection of innocent human lives must remain the foremost priority. He urged the Government of India to closely monitor the situation and raise the issue before appropriate international forums, highlighting alleged human rights violations and the suppression of democratic rights in the region.
The NSF Chairman further stated that the National Sikh Front is actively considering submitting a detailed memorandum to the United Nations and other international human rights bodies, seeking urgent intervention to ensure that violence is halted and innocent civilians are protected. “The international community cannot afford to look away when ordinary men, women and youth are caught in the crossfire of political turmoil and state repression,” he said.
Calling for restraint, dialogue and a peaceful resolution of all outstanding grievances, S. Varinderjeet Singh emphasized that durable peace can never be achieved through force. He appealed to the authorities in Pakistan to immediately stop the use of excessive force, release those detained for peaceful democratic activities and create conditions conducive to meaningful dialogue.
“The people of PoJK deserve dignity, justice, democratic freedoms and the right to live without fear. History has repeatedly shown that the aspirations of a people cannot be crushed through coercion. The path forward lies in reconciliation, not repression,” he added.
The NSF appealed to all peace-loving organizations, human rights defenders and democratic institutions across the world to raise their voice in support of the innocent civilians affected by the ongoing unrest in PoJK.