Probe human rights violations in Kashmir: civil liberties delegation

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

A visiting delegation of prominent human rights activists have demanded an enquiry into all allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir. The team is in Kashmir to document various cases of human rights violations.

The team headed by Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee chairman K Balagopal, includes Sudesh Vaid and Ravi Shukla from the People's Union of Democratic Rights, Jahnavi Phalke and Kartik Pannalal from the Committee for Protection of Human Rights.

The team has demanded immediate withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other ''draconian laws'' which ''give unlimited powers to the armed forces''. The activists, who visited various towns, villages and hospitals in Srinagar, said pro-government militants should be disarmed and that the state should end the ''policy of encouraging private armed gangs to indulge in killing and extortion''.

The team probed custodial killings in the valley and demanded that the security forces should follow the Supreme Court's guidelines regarding arrest of individuals. Balagopal said, ''We found shocking cases of inhuman torture during our visit to the nephrology unit at the Institute of Medical Sciences.''

The activists also visited various migrant camps of Kashmiri pandits in Jammu and demanded adequate facilities for them. The pandits feel the government was not creating a conducive atmosphere to facilitate their return to the valley, Balagopal said. The team also condemned the killing of pandits at Sangrampora and the recent ban on newspapers imposed by militants.

The team members met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitley and discussed with him the prevailing human rights situation. Sudesh Vaid claimed the chief secretary had admitted that the civil administration in the valley had collapsed.

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