Voices of Kashmir's terror victims echo in Geneva; international call for accountability

Geneva [Switzerland], September 25 (ANI): At the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), an event titled "Victims of Terror", jointly organised by the Shivi Development Society (SDS) and the People's Cultural Centre (PECUC), was held to honour victims and survivors of terrorism.

The gathering aimed to raise awareness about the human cost of terrorism, highlight Pakistan's role in supporting cross-border terror in Jammu and Kashmir, and advocate for enhanced rights and recognition for affected communities.

The event drew human rights activists, journalists, academicians, and NGO representatives, who were urged to step up efforts to combat terrorism in the region.

Political and social activist Shenaz Ganai has said that her homeland of Jammu and Kashmir has been the victim of a sustained and deliberate campaign of terrorism for more than three decades, with Pakistan being the only architect of this violence.

Ganai said that terrorism is not homegrown but is being exported from across the border. "The only architect of this campaign is Pakistan, unfortunately," she said.

Drawing a comparison between the two countries, Ganai said, "There is no conflict between unequals. India is a democracy where institutions function under law, whereas Pakistan is a military state which only sponsors and trains terrorists."

Ganai highlighted that ordinary men, women, children, pilgrims, and tourists are killed in Jammu and Kashmir, not by spontaneous rebels but by members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and The Resistance Front (TRF).

She further underlined that these organisations are not unknown actors but are already registered as terrorist groups by the United Nations, the United States, and India.

Ganai concluded by saying that there can be no symmetry between a state defending its people and a state manufacturing and sponsoring terrorism.

Advocate Vishva Ranjan Pandita, representing the Kashmiri Pandit community, detailed the genocide and forced exodus suffered by his community due to targeted killings and mass violence.

"Although the issue of Kashmiri Pandits has been addressed and discussed within the country for a long time, at international forums like the United Nations, I think it has been missing. That is why we are here, to let people and the world know what happened to the Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, and to burst the narratives of Pakistan," Pandita stated.

"We want to request the world community to direct Pakistan to stop aiding and abetting terror, to stop the terror activities they are doing in India and in our state of Jammu and Kashmir, and also direct Pakistan to dismantle its terror infrastructure completely," he added.

Speaking on behalf of the Sikh community, activist Harleen Kaur recounted the targeted violence against her community, designed to disrupt peace and social cohesion in Kashmir.

She attributed these attacks to Pakistan-backed terror groups and highlighted the region's progress in security, infrastructure, women's empowerment, and tourism, crediting both government initiatives and local resilience.

Kaur emphasised that these achievements reflect the collective strength of communities against terrorism and expressed confidence that efforts to divide Kashmiris would ultimately fail. (ANI)

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