Researcher ‘detained, interrogated’ at Wagah on return from Pak

editorial@tribune.com

Srinagar, October 21

The Kashmir-based human rights group, Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS), has claimed that its researcher and lawyer, Kartik Murukutla, was ‘detained, interrogated and fined’ at the Wagah border by the Indian customs and intelligence officials on his return from Pakistan.

Rights activists and JKCSS coordinator Khurram Parvez said that on October 18, officials at the Wagah border crossing detained Kartik on his return from Pakistan and interrogated him.

Both Khurram and Kartik were on a weeklong visit to Pakistan, where they re-launched a report on alleged human rights violations, in Islamabad on October 17

Earlier the report on alleged human rights violations was released in Srinagar by the JKCSS and the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Jammu and Kashmir on September 9.

Its copies were also presented by the groups to UN bodies in Geneva in September. “The report ‘Structures of Violence: The Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir’ was seized and a fine of Rs 5,000 imposed,” Khurram said in a statement.

“The reason for the seizure was that the language in the report questioned the territorial integrity of India. The main objection to the report was stated to be a reference to Jammu and Kashmir as Indian-administered Kashmir,” Khurram said, adding that this report was printed in Delhi and was not seized when the JKCCS researchers were travelling to Pakistan. — TNS