Srinagar, June 7: The Hurriyat Conference (G) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has described the Human Rights Watch’s letter to Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, as an encouraging and timely step.
 The veteran leader also urged the HRW to depute its team to Jammu Kashmir to assess the magnitude of human rights violations and play its role in providing protection to the civilians. 
 In the letter to Dr Manmohan Singh, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday said India should live up to its legal and moral commitments after becoming a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act in Kashmir.
  “AFSPA provides armed forces a license to kill anyone in Jammu Kashmir and the PSA is such a cruel law through which anyone can be put behind the bars for years together. The detention under this law cannot be challenged in the court of law,” Geelani said. 
 Geelani said though the voice raised by the HRW was an encouraging and timely step, but there were apprehensions that India would not take it seriously. “For, Indian rulers are intoxicated by power and don’t care even a hoot for international community,” he said.
 He said that the Government of India has not taken any notice of the Amnesty International’s detailed report on PSA in which it had termed it a “Lawless Law”.
 “Despite passing of three months since the AI released the report, no detainee serving detention under PSA has been released so far,” he said.
 Geelani claimed that there won’t be any change in the ground situation until International Forum takes serious steps to exert effective pressure on India. 
 Meanwhile, Geelani has announced that he would himself visit the Martyrs’ Graveyard on June 11, Saturday, to participate in the Fateh Khawani being held for those who were killed in last three years in the Valley. 
 “June 11, Saturday will be observed as Memorial Day in honour of all those who were martyred during peaceful struggle and on this day there will be complete state-wide shutdown. Special prayer meetings will be organized for all the martyrs. An oath of reaffirmation will be taken on the occasion to take mission of martyrs to its logical end,” Geelani said.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 8 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST