Srinagar, Nov 10: The chairperson of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), Parveena Ahanger, on Wednesday revealed that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has sanctioned financial aid to the families associated with the APDP.    
 “This is very prestigious grant. It is an acknowledgement of the efforts and campaign of the APDP towards foregrounding the issue of enforced disappearances in Kashmir. We have taken the plight of the victims to the international forum,” Parveena told reporters at the sidelines of sit-in protest organized after 4-months at Pratap Park here.
 Pertinently, the APDP prior to present unrest used to hold sit-in protest once in a month to seek whereabouts of the persons who have been subjected to enforced disappearance during the past 20-years of turmoil in the Valley. The APDP claims that more than 10,000 persons have disappeared in the custody of various agencies since 1990.     
 Parveena while referring to the financial assistance received by the APDP said, “ We have received the first installment,” but she did not disclose how much amount the APDP had received.
 She said to ensure efficient and satisfactory dissemination of the grant the APDP would conduct a survey to access the socio-economic, legal and other needs of the victim families. The grants have been approved under the aegis of United Nations Voluntary Fund, she added.
 Parveena said she went to Geneva in 2008 to attend the 86th session of the United Nations Working Group on disappearances. “I also submitted a report of six disappearances cases from Kashmir before UNHRC. The cases were published in their annual report in 2009,” she said.
 Parveena said: “In 2008, we submitted a proposal to UNHRC to provide financial assistance to the families of the persons who have disappeared in the valley in past 20-years and for the torture victims.”    
 “In 2009,” she said, “A team came here and studied our proposal thoroughly. We recommended that we will conduct a survey on persons subjected to enforced disappearance. We told them that we will identify all the affected families and will establish which sort of assistance they need. After studying our proposal the UNHRC sanctioned the grant.”
 Referring to  Machil encounter, Parveena said the APDP members visited the families of victims at Nadihal in north Kashmir in July this year. “Their family members joined the APDP sit-in demonstration today to seek justice,” she added.
 Expressing solidarity with the families, Parveena said the cases Machil fake encounter  victims must be expedited and relief must be provided to the families.
 Parveena also condemned the use of unprecedented force across the Valley since June this year. She expressed sorrow over the loss of more than 112 lives during the present unrest.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST