ISLAMABAD: All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) Information Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Butt, on the occasion of International Women’s Day to be observed tomorrow (March 8), expressed concern over the human rights situation of women in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), saying they continue to face significant social and political hardships.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Butt said Kashmiri women had played a courageous and historic role in the region’s long-standing movement for self-determination, describing their sacrifices as an “unforgettable chapter” in the struggle.
He said women in the region had faced repression from Indian security forces due to their involvement in the political movement.
Referring to incidents such as the Kunan Poshpora mass rape case and the Shopian rape and murder case, Butt said these events remained among the most widely cited examples of human rights violations against women in the disputed territory.
According to the Hurriyat leader, Kashmiri women have endured various forms of violence and trauma, including physical, psychological and emotional suffering over the past several decades.
Butt further claimed that since the beginning of the insurgency in 1989, thousands of Kashmiri men had been arrested, disappeared or killed in fake encounters.
As a result, he said, many women remain uncertain about the fate of their husbands. Such women are often referred to as “half-widows”, a term commonly used in the region to describe wives of missing persons.
He also criticised the use of pellet guns by Indian forces during protests, alleging that the weapons had caused serious injuries to civilians, including women and children. He cited cases such as Insha Mushtaq and Hiba Nisar, who reportedly lost their eyesight after being hit by pellet fire.
Butt also expressed concern over the detention of several Kashmiri women activists, including Aasiya Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi and Naheeda Nasreen, who he said were currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail and other detention facilities. He said that despite suffering from various health problems, the detainees were not being provided adequate medical treatment.
Calling on the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and international human rights organisations to take notice of the situation, Butt urged the global community to press India to ensure the protection of women’s rights and to release detained Kashmiri women.
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