New York, Sep 22: Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Thursday said that United Nations has moral and legal obligation to resolve Kashmir issue.
Addressing the Contact Group of Organization of Islamic Conference on Kashmir in New York, Mirwaiz said past failures should not deter United Nations from renewing its efforts to bring out the promised settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Pitching for inclusion of Kashmiri leadership in dialogue process, Mirwaiz said bilateral talks between India and Pakistan have failed in the past 64 years to resolve the dispute.
 “The resolution of the Kashmir dispute couldn’t be left to the two governments of India and Pakistan. It requires the engagement of a multilateral effort with the participation of the leadership of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
 Mirwaiz added that their engagements with New Delhi failed in the past as the latter wants to dilute the issue through parleys.
 The pro-freedom leaders said that human rights violations are continuing in the state at the time of India-Pakistan dialogue process.
 “Today, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are experiencing the horrors of human rights atrocities on daily basis: extrajudicial killings that surpass 100,000 in the last two decades, torture, arbitrary detentions, involuntary disappearances and ruthless suppression of political expression,” he said.
 Mirwaiz said New Delhi is reusing to let in international organizations to probe the unmarked graves in the Valley.
 “Over 4600 mass graves have been located by an International Tribunal on Kashmir, headed by an eminent Indian-American scholar, Professor Angana Chatterji, yet, the Indian Government is refusing to allow international human rights organizations to investigate. Recently, an Indian police team, operating under the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), completed their report that verified the horrific discovery of 2700 mass graves. This eye-opening report confirms that 574 bodies have been identified as disappeared locals,” he said.
 Mirwaiz also called on UN to condemn the atrocities perpetrated upon the innocent Kashmiris, organize a UN tribunal to ascertain the gravity of the tyranny and to request Jeremy Sarkin (South Africa), Chairperson-Rapporteur ‘United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances’ to conduct an independent investigation.
 Mirwaiz said at the time when revolutions are taking place in Arab Spring, many issues including Kashmir where people are fighting for their democratic rights remain unresolved.
 “Year 2011 has proved to be one of the most dramatic periods in recent history when the whole world witnessed the spontaneous, indigenous and popular Arab Spring, and it is only half finished. The citizens in a number of countries have protested long-entrenched oppressive regimes as in the case of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and have toppled them to restore democracy and governance of the will of the people. But there are several situations where protest against long-standing oppression remains unheeded in spite of their inherent right to self-determination and the will of the people as the basis of political power. A major case of this is the situation in Kashmir which is one of the oldest unresolved international problems in the world,” he said.
 He also expressed gratitude to the members of the OIC Kashmir Contact Group ‘for supporting Kashmir’s struggle for right of self-determination.’
 Speaking on the occasion, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the OIC Secretary General reaffirmed, once more, full support of the OIC for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
 “These meetings indeed reflect the importance which the OIC attaches to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and that the OIC has consistently and constantly strived hard to mobilize greater support and firmer solidarity for the struggle of the Kashmiri people,” he said.
 “We have recently established a new setting of interaction with the European Parliament on Kashmir and hope to continue till achieving good results,” he said.
 He also called on OIC Member States and its related institutions to take practical steps in providing university scholarships for the Kashmiri students. “I am certain that the distinguished members of the Contact Group would also render their support to this endeavour,” he added.

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