IOJK Situation Fast Deteriorating Under A Dual-lockdown Imposed By India: Masood Khan

IOJK situation fast deteriorating under a dual-lockdown imposed by India: Masood Khan

Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that the situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) is fast deteriorating under a dual-lockdown imposed by the Indian government

Islamabad (Pakistan Point News - 29th April, 2020) Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has said that the situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK) is fast deteriorating under a dual-lockdown imposed by the Indian government.

The AJK President made these remarks while individually speaking to leading national political leaders and influential members of the diaspora community.

The President had said that due to the coronavirus pandemic, life around the world has come to a standstill and a strict lockdown too has been imposed in AJK to help contain, control and eliminate the coronavirus. Due to the effective implementation of a lockdown in AJK, the number of infected individuals is only around 60 and no deaths have been reported so far. He added that foreign travellers are traced and tracked so as to ensure that no potential victims are left out.

President Masood Khan apprised that the situation in IOJK is fast deterring. He added that under the cover of the coronavirus lockdown, young Kashmiris are being mercilessly killed. He said that recently under the so-called cordon and search operations almost 80 Kashmiris have been martyred, adding that the exact number has yet to be known. Over 13,000 young Kashmiris, he said, some as young as 9 are incarcerated and are being tortured. The Indian leadership has claimed that these boys have been sent to “de-radicalisation camps”.

“International human rights organisations have called for the release of prisoners, as the cramped prison cells are high-risk areas for the transmission of the coronavirus”, said Masood Khan. Additionally, he said that the coronavirus patients in IOJK are not even given proper treatment and care.

Sardar Masood said that on April 02, the Indian government had imposed the New Domicile Rules under which anyone from all over India who has resided in Kashmir or Jammu for 15 years, or spent seven years studying in regional educational institutions and appeared in class 10 or 12 examinations, may become permanent residents. This will also include workers, civil servants and West-Pakistan migrants.

Large tracks of lands, said Masood Khan, have been reserved for RSS operatives especially those that have been brought in after the imposition of the August 5 occupational lockdown. These lands will give a foothold to these RSS pracharaks who will terrorise the local population. Huge hospital complexes and business zones are being made on the pretext of “ushering in a new era of development” These complexes are being established only to accommodate Hindus from all over India.

The President said that India has intensified attacks across the Line of Control and are targeting civilians and public infrastructure. Additionally, he said, they have shifted their mortar guns and cannons into local villages of IOJK and are using the innocent Kashmiris as human shields. “All this is done to divert the attention of the world from the human rights violations taking place in the IOJK”, he said.

The President appealed to not let the Kashmir issue die-down in the international arena. He said that only the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has till now condemned the New Domicile Rules. He urged the political leaders and influential opinion-makers to reach out to their global counterparts in an enduring manner. He said that virtual-diplomacy is a tool that cannot be ignored and we must continue to highlight the Kashmir issue. "Continue to reach out to to the world and the international media in order to raise the profile of the Kashmir issue", he said.