Report
   A webinar “Kashmir Siege is Knocking at World Conscience” was organized by Kashmir   Institute of International Relations (KIIR) in the collaboration of World Muslim Congress   (WMC), dated October, 2020, constituted of the profound panelists, i.e, H.E. Shadow   Minister Imran Hussain MP, H.E Tony Lloyd MP for Rochdale, H.E.M. Yasin MP Bedford, Ms.   Catherine Constantindes, Qazi Shibli-the Editor in Chief The Kashmiriyat and Barrister   Mark . The webinar was moderated by Altaf Hussain Wani Chairman KIIR. The discussion was formally initiated by Qazi Shibli who was casting live from the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Qazi Shibli is one of the eminent Kashmiri journalists from Indian occupied Kashmir. The panelists were keen to know shibli’s story as it was the first hand information they could get from the region. So he narrated that he was detained from his home on July 27, 2019, by the Indian security forces. He runs the news website “The Kashmiriyat”, and was booked for nine months in jail under the obnoxious law Public Safety Act (PSA), along with 412 Kashmiris. Initially, he was taken to the local police station in Sher Bagh, Anantnag and then he was shifted to Central Jail, Srinagar. At last, he was locked up in Bareilly District Jail [in Uttar Pradesh] nearly 2000 kilometers away from his hometown. According to Indian troops, Shibli’s views seemed to be a profound threat to the Indian government as they could arouse a rebellion movement that is why he was arrested. It was the time when Shibli posted a tweet about the deployment of additional troops in Indian occupied Kashmir, which later turned out to be the effects of a clampdown in IoK on August 5, 2019. Shibli expressed that as a Kashmiri, they are born with the feeling of being caged. They have nothing to lose. They want to attain freedom from the brutal Indian government, at any cost. He said that he tried everything to communicate with his family but he wasn’t allowed to do so. Even his family didn’t know his whereabouts. While describing his experience of being arrested, he was terrified. He explained how those small cells haunted his every breath. He said that while in jail, he was craving for pen and paper to write. Even he went on a hunger strike but the police didn’t allow him anything regarding this, although they gave him some books to read. After 57 days of imprisonment, finally somebody came to see him from his family, and he couldn’t even express how helpless he was feeling at that time. He remained in that shirt and pajama for the first 57 days, in which he left his house. By the time he got new ones, his t-shirt had 119 holes. He used to see a nightmare which was recurrent during his detention that some ghosts were haunting him and constantly snatching books and pens from him. He was released on April 13, 2020, after national and international organizations for the rights of journalists and press freedom raised campaigns to revoke his detention. Qazi explained how the dynamics have changed in the BJP’s tenure. He explained the challenges being faced by the journalists in IOK, as they have been detained, tortured and harassed by the Indian troops. He said that Indian government propagated a false bubble of economic development in IOK, whereas the hidden motive is bringing demographic changes in the region. In such a scenario, it’s nearly impossible for the Kashmiri journalists to broadcast the truth based on facts. They can not produce fruitful and unbiased products of journalism. Qazi claimed that journalism in IOK is like walking on the double edged sword. He further said that there is a complete denial of freedom of speech in Kashmir. In his final remarks he promised that it’s his primary duty as a journalist to present and report the facts in an undistorted manner

 H.E. Shadow Minister Imran Hussain MP thanked Altaf Hussain Wani for initiating this kind of webinar. He, too, discussed the life threatening challenges faced by the Kashmiri journalists. He said that these journalists are in dangerous positions and that’s why there could be manipulation of data and information as everything is under Indian draconian government’s control and is heavily restrained to broadcast the truth. He further talked about the ground realities of human right abuses in IOK and their right of self determination.
 Ms. Catherine Constantindes, explained how serving in the territory of Western Sahara had led her to the conflict of Kashmir. She encouraged the efforts of KIIR for spreading the awareness and education related to the human rights aspect of IOK. She emphasized on the amplification of the atrocities and testimonies in real time. She further said that we should grow our audience which could enlighten the hidden atrocities in IOK. Finally, she said that India is exploiting natural resources of the region. It is exploiting the people of IOK via systematic sexual violence, torture and torment. We are fighting for the right of self determination which is the basic fundamental right of a human being. 
  H.E.M. Yasin MP Bedford, discussed the revocation of article 370 and 35 A of the Indian constitution. He explained how this move had turned IOK into the largest prison in the world. He condemned the Indian Hindutva draconian policies and requested the international community to raise their voices against these brutalities. He stated that the world is acting upon the realist paradigm that is how states could only formulate policies based on their national interests. He explained that India, the regional hegemon and tech-economic hub, is having good businesses with international powers, so they could not boycott India for it’s violations in the region. He concluded on the point that despite having political differences, Kashmiris as a whole should work together to highlight this issue.
  H.E Tony Lloyd MP for Rochdale, congratulated KIIR for organizing such an event. He acknowledged Shibli’s bravery and courage for speaking up from the region against the heinous violations committed by Indian authorities and security forces. He said that we should make sure that Kashmir’s voices should be heard louder. He discussed the challenges faced by the people of IOK amidst 5th August, 2019 lockdown, such as coronavirus, food and medicine shortages, communication blockade, travel barriers and obstacles on massive scales. He declared that now, Kashmir has become a flashpoint in the world where we have seen the number of escalations nationally and internationally. He said that the International community is not much vocal about this issue, they must have addressed this on general assembly forums. He claimed that the only way forward to this issue could be implementation of the UN resolutions in IOK. Kashmiris must claim their identity and they should decide for their destiny rather than giving opportunity to a third party to decide for its fate.

Past Events