By YFK

June 21,2017 

UNITED NATIONS, GENEVA—India is officially at war against an entire generation in Kashmir, members of Kashmir Delegation told diplomats and representatives of international rights organizations during a briefing at UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

“India is at war against the youth in Kashmir. This is a war on an entire generation,” Ahmed Quraishi, member of Kashmir Delegation and Executive Director, Youth Forum For Kashmir (YFK) told a sideline event. “The world’s largest movement today for civil and political rights, including the right to self-determination, is underway now in Kashmir. Young men and women are leading it. India hopes to stop the movement by crippling the younger generation through torture and murder,” he said.

Quraishi was speaking at a sideline event titled, ‘Youth in Conflict and Right to Education.’ The event was presided over by Sardar Amjad Youssef Khan, Executive Director of Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR), and speakers included Altaf Hussain Wani, leader of Kashmir Delegation to 35th session of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), senior APHC freedom leader Hassan al-Banna, and the gathered rights activists recognized the role of female students in Kashmir in leading the freedom movement. “Instead of welcoming peaceful protests by women, world’s largest democracy responded to unarmed women using brute force,” Quraishi said.

APHC leader Hassan al-Banna said schools and universities were the biggest victims of India’s assault on young men and women of Kashmir. “Amnesty International has researched this issue and concluded that New Delhi is targeting Kashmir’s younger generation under an undeclared policy,” Banna said.

“Like other parts of the world Kashmiri youth undoubtedly are very talented,” Banna said, adding, “Unfortunately, the space they need to grow and work is being squeezed and narrowed. You know, the young boys and girls of today’s digital world are great admirers of Social media but Kashmiri youth is deprived of all these facilities as the internet is being suspended in Kashmir day in and day out by the Indian government.”

Senior Kashmir freedom leader Altaf Hussain Wani gave a detailed presentation of India’s current predicament in Kashmir. One of his key findings was the high ratio of civilian deaths in Kashmir at the hand of Indian army as compared the numbers of alleged militants. The civilian casualty rate in World War II was five percent, he said, but in Kashmir it has reached up to eighty percent.

The eight-member Kashmir Delegation for UNHRC’s 35th session consists of Altaf Hussain Wani-Delegation leader and senior Kashmir freedom leader, senior APHC leaders-Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, Hassan al-Banna and Advocate Pervaiz Ahmed Shah, Sardar Amjad Youssef Khan-Executive Director Kashmir Institute Of International Relations (KIIR), senior woman Kashmiri leader Mrs. Shamim Shawl, Ahmed Quraishi-Executive Director YFK–International Kashmir Lobby Group and Prof. Shagufta Ashraf-Human Rights Defender working with women & children.

YFK–International Kashmir Lobby Group (Youth Forum For Kashmir) is Pakistan’s first pro-Kashmir, registered and nonpartisan International lobbying group led by young Kashmiris and Pakistanis working to ensure justice to Kashmiris living under Indian-military occupation.

For more information, please contact M. Hassaan (+92 333 5988912 / m.hassaan@yfk.org.pk) or Altaf Wani (+41 77 9876048 / saleeemwani@hotmail.com) or Ahmed Quraishi (+41 77 9643655 / aq@yfk.org.pk)