By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter
Srinagar: Two days after Khurram Parvez was stopped from travelling to Geneva, Switzerland for a UN Human Rights session, the prominent human rights defender has now been arrested and detained in Srinagar.
Parvez, who is the chairperson of Asian Federation Against involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Program Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), has been detained without formal arrest or notifications, and in violation of his rights to information, and legal counsel, said Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society. He has not been provided with any written document, court order or the reasons for his detention, the organisation added.
Khurram Parvez was scheduled to attend the 33rd UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva to brief UN bodies, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and foreign governments on the atrocities committed by Indian state forces in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly over the last two months. Khurram Parvez is presently detained at the Kothi Bagh Police Station in Srinagar.
Image Courtesy- Khurram Parvez’s Facebook account
“The unlawful detention of Khurram Parvez is a violation of internationally recognized and non-derogable civil and political rights, and India’s own constitutional guarantees. It is a clear indication of reprisal, an attempt to intimidate and restrain Khurram Parvez and his human rights work. In doing so, it seeks to isolate him and silence the critical concerns of Kashmir from being heard by the international community. Unlawful arrests have been consistently used by the Indian state in Jammu and Kashmir to repress all space for dissent. Tellingly, the action on Khurram Parvez closely follows India’s rejection of the UN High Commissioner’s request for access to Jammu and Kashmir for a UN fact-finding mission,” JKCSS said in a release.
PDP faces inner revolt, MP resigns
Tariq Hameed Karra, who became an MP from Central Kashmir in 2014 elections after defeating Dr Farooq Abdullah, resigned from all positions and in his scathing resignation statement he targeted the Mehbooba Mufti government for their attitude towards the recent uprising.
“The Central and State Governments policies of unabated genocide in the worst form of inhuman brutality, continued denial mode towards the dangerous ground realities, their insensitive and adhocist approach towards Kashmir issue and for their continued blatant and open policy of dealing with Kashmiris by way of Oppressive, Repressive and Suppressive majors are other reasons for registering my protest,” Karra said in his resignation speech.
Karra lashed out at the PDP government for denying the citizens a chance to offer Eid prayers, as shrines and the Grand Mosque were locked. “My apprehension that by PDP’s facilitation RSS backed BJP would even impose religious ingression stands unfortunately vindicated today. Though I was all along feeling suffocated due to PDP’s alliance with RSS backed BJP, my conscience was shaken during the last two months especially, due to PDP’s newly acquired avatar during the present upheaval by the treatment meted out in the hands of Central and State Government especially by PDP. My conscience cannot take it any longer. My heart is bleeding and my soul is crying for the people of my homeland. Hence taking a call of my conscience and as a mark of protest on moral grounds against the brutal policies of BJP at center and State Govt.’s complete sell-out and surrender before them, I have decided to disassociate myself from the primary membership of People’s Democratic Party and from the membership of Parliament to which I was elected from Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency in 2014 on PDP ticket,” he said.