by Zafar Iqbal Yousafzai 15 March 2023
The Indian army’s illegal abduction and custodial killing of Abdul Rasheed, a young Kashmiri, is a blatant violation of human rights. This incident is the latest in a long history of extrajudicial killings of innocent Kashmiri youth by Indian occupational forces. Kashmiri leadership has pointed towards the Indian army’s growing tendency of arbitrary killings of innocent Kashmiri youth, without any accountability.
Ex-Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has rightly stated that such incidents have been normalized since 2019, and probes and inquiries fail to nail culprits and deliver justice. Abdul Rasheed was arrested by the Indian occupational forces in December 2022 and later issued a fabricated statement of escape during detention. He was arrested by 41 Rashtriya Rifles deployed in Kupwara’s Trehgam tehsil without informing the police, as the standard operational procedure demands.
Abdul Rasheed’s body had torture marks, and his family accused Indian forces of killing him without any judicial procedure. This tragic incident has resulted in pain and anger in his native village of Kunan, where agitated residents gathered in dozens and shouted anti-army and anti-BJP slogans, demanding strict punishment for the perpetrators. Over the past more than three decades of turmoil in Kashmir, thousands of civilians have gone missing in the custody of security forces. Although the bodies of some were found, most remain untraced. According to human rights activists, more than 8,000 persons have gone missing in Kashmir since 1989.
This situation raises serious concerns about the Indian army’s accountability and the lack of protection of human rights in Kashmir. The Indian government must ensure that human rights are respected and protected in Kashmir and hold those responsible for extrajudicial killings accountable for their actions. The government should also initiate a transparent and impartial inquiry into Abdul Rasheed’s killing to deliver justice to his family and prevent such incidents in the future.
It is high time for the international community to take notice of the human rights violations in Kashmir and exert pressure on the Indian government to bring an end to the cycle of violence and impunity. The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the plight of the Kashmiri people, who have suffered for decades due to the conflict and human rights abuses. The international community must stand in solidarity with the people of Kashmir and demand justice and accountability for all human rights violations.
The ongoing conflict in Kashmir between India and Pakistan has resulted in countless human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings of innocent civilians. Abdul Rasheed, the latest victim of the Indian occupational army’s illegal abduction and custodial killing, is a tragic reminder of the ongoing cycle of violence and impunity in Kashmir. Abdul Rasheed’s case is not an isolated incident. Over the past three decades, thousands of civilians have gone missing in the custody of security forces in Kashmir. The lack of accountability and transparency in these cases has fueled a culture of impunity, allowing security forces to act with impunity and continue to violate human rights without fear of repercussions.
The Indian government has repeatedly denied allegations of human rights abuses in Kashmir, including extrajudicial killings. However, the mounting evidence and testimonies from Kashmiri civilians paint a grim picture of the reality on the ground. The situation in Kashmir has been a long-standing issue, with the conflict dating back to the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. The disputed territory has been a bone of contention between the two countries, resulting in numerous wars and skirmishes.
The Indian government’s response to the conflict has been to deploy a large military presence in the region, which has been criticized by human rights organizations for the excessive use of force and human rights abuses. The use of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Kashmir has been particularly controversial. The AFSPA provides security forces with broad powers to arrest and detain civilians without a warrant and use lethal force to maintain law and order.
The AFSPA has been criticized by human rights organizations for its provisions that violate international human rights standards, such as the right to life, liberty, and security of the person. The Act has also been criticized for providing security forces with impunity, allowing them to act with impunity and commit human rights abuses without fear of legal repercussions. The Indian government’s response to human rights violations in Kashmir has been to launch inquiries and investigations into allegations of abuse. However, these inquiries have been criticized for their lack of transparency, independence, and accountability.
In many cases, these inquiries have been viewed as a cover-up for the human rights abuses committed by security forces. Human rights organizations have called for independent and impartial investigations into allegations of human rights abuses in Kashmir to hold perpetrators accountable and provide justice to victims.
The United Nations has also expressed concern about the human rights situation in Kashmir. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has called for an international investigation into allegations of human rights abuses in the region. In its 2018 report, the OHCHR documented a wide range of human rights violations in Kashmir, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture. The report also criticized the Indian government’s response to these allegations, stating that it had failed to conduct independent and impartial investigations into the allegations of abuse.
The international community has also expressed concern about the human rights situation in Kashmir. Several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have raised the issue of human rights violations in Kashmir with the Indian government. The international community has a responsibility to hold the Indian government accountable for human rights abuses in Kashmir. The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the plight of the Kashmiri people, who have suffered for decades due to the conflict and human rights abuses.
The international community must stand in solidarity with the people of Kashmir and demand justice and accountability for all human rights violations. The Indian government must also take immediate steps to address the human rights situation in Kashmir, including repealing the AFSPA and holding perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable for their actions.
In conclusion, the extrajudicial killing of Abdul Rasheed is a stark reminder of the ongoing human rights violations in Kashmir. The Indian government must take immediate action to address the human rights situation in the region and ensure that justice is served for all victims of human rights abuses. The international community must also play a role in holding the Indian government accountable for its actions and supporting the Kashmiri people in their struggle for justice and peace.