Mirpur-ajk:Altaf Hussain Wani, a prominent rights activist and chairman of the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) has urged the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to facilitate unrestricted access to Kashmir.
This access is essential for accurately reporting on human rights violations in the region.
According to press release issued on Thursday, During a meeting with High Commissioner Volter Turk in Geneva, held on the sidelines of the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Wani expressed his concerns about the lack of attention to the Kashmir situation in OHCHR updates.
He emphasized the need for observer access to better understand and respond to the ongoing human rights issues.
The High Commissioner acknowledged the challenges posed by restricted access to the region, noting that the OHCHR is monitoring the situation but faces significant hurdles.
Wani, who is part of an eight-member Kashmiri delegation attending the UNHRC session, urged the
High Commissioner to advocate for allowing human rights organizations to visit Kashmir.
Turk assured him that the OHCHR is in dialogue with both the Indian and Pakistani governments to address these complexities.
The meeting highlighted the ongoing difficulties in monitoring human rights in Jammu and Kashmir which India has effectively sealed off from international observers.
The UN has previously called for observer access to the region, especially after the Indian government’s controversial abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in 2019 which heightened tensions and worsened the human rights situation.