Srinagar, Dec 16 (KNS): Calling civilian killings at Pulwama as ‘massacre’, former union minister and senior Congress leader, Prof. Saifuddin Soz on Sunday urged Common-Wealth Human Rights (CHRI) Chief, Sanjoy Hazarika to visit Kashmir to see what he termed as extreme human rights violations in the Valley.
“Inviting attention to the massacre that took place at Pulwama, the other day, I urged the Common-Wealth Human Rights (CHRI) Chief Sanjoy Hazarika to visit Kashmir and see for himself the blatant and extreme human rights violations through the black and draconian law – the AFSPA,” Soz said in a statement issued to KNS.
“I also told him that what happened at Pulwama, was a massacre of unarmed civilians and his organization should demand an enquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of India,” he said.
“I reminded him that he had himself described this Act as an ‘archaic’ and extremely violative of human rights and had urged Govt. of India to scrap it. I also reminded him that he had himself admitted that it was impossible to reach the VICTIMS of this Black Law. I conveyed to him that now was a situation that Army and the forces felt free to use this lethal weapon – the AFSPA, in routine and on daily basis,” Soz said.
“I further conveyed to him that in view of the fact that National Human Rights Commission was a dysfunctional body; his (Sanjoy Hazarika’s) responsibility had increased. I forwarded the copy of the letter to many Human Rights Activists in India and to many Generals including General D.S. Hooda,” he added. (KNS)