Islamabad: Kashmiri leader and chairman Jammu Kashmir Salvation Movement (JKSM) Altaf Ahmed Bhat in a statement here in Islamabad today said that while women across the world celebrate their strides towards equality, women from India’s illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir remain among the most marginalized and oppressed.
The region’s status as the most militarized zone exacerbates the challenges women face, exposing them to unimaginable hardships and dire circumstances. Bhat went on to say that the alarming statistics: over 11,263 women have been sexually assaulted in the last 34 years, of which 22,973 have become widows, many have been imprisoned and countless have become orphans or lived as half-widows.
The situation is grim, with women enduring arbitrary detention, violence and even death. Highlighting horrific cases like the 1991 Kunan and Poshpora gang-rapes and the recent Shopian double rape and murder, Bhat underlines the culture of impunity enjoyed by perpetrators, including government forces. Despite mounting evidence, justice remains elusive, leaving survivors and their families to grapple with trauma and injustice.
He further said that the brutality goes beyond sexual violence, with incidents of gun attacks leaving many women, including children like Insha Mushtaq, permanently scarred. Cases like Asiya and Neelofer in Shopian serve as stark reminders of the vulnerability of women in conflict zones. On International Women’s Day, Bhat calls on the international community to break the silence and hold perpetrators accountable.
It calls on human rights organizations to prioritize the protection of women’s rights and dignity and demands an impartial investigation into crimes committed against women in Kashmir. Addressing the urgent need for justice and recognition of the plight of Kashmiri women, Bhat mentioned that political prisoners, particularly Asiya Andrabi, Fehmida Sofi and Naheeda Nasreen, who are languishing in Indian jails just because of their demand for the right to self-determination and freedom from Indians. cast.
JKSM Chairman Altaf Ahmed Bhat reiterated his commitment to advocate for the rights of women in Kashmir and also appealed to the world community to heed their call for justice and support in their struggle for dignity and equality.
