US Commission cautioned against 'motivated' witnesses on Kashmir

An organisation of Kashmiri Pandits based in the United States has expressed displeasure over the attempts of hijacking the Kashmir issue by “politically motivated” people. The Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) told a US Congressional Commission that inadequate representation of the views of those who have been real victims of human rights violations challenges a proper understanding of the complex subject.

Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission which was scheduled to “examine the human rights situation in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir in India in a historical and national context” has been cautioned against those attempting to hijack the Kashmir issue. The KOA appealed to the Commission to reach out to the members of the community. In a statement the KOA said that the participation of Kashmiri Pandits in the hearing would have elicited a far wider response from potential expert witnesses, non-government organisations working in this field and the wider public and would have enriched the Commission's hearing”.

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Attempt to urge the Commission

The commission which is a Congressional Caucus of the US House of Representatives had two hosts and seven panelists to discuss alleged human rights violations in Kashmir. The KOA urged the Commission to also consider the situation in Kashmir in view of cross border terrorism. “The Commission should recognise the unique security challenges faced by India in Jammu and Kashmir due to cross border terrorism and call a spade a spade. We urge the Commission to call upon Pakistan to end its State policy of sponsoring cross border terrorism in India,” read the statement.

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Hosted by members of the Congress, James P McGovern and Christopher H. Smith the hearing began with the opening remarks of McGovern who along with Smith emphasising on the implementation of the internationally recognized human rights. They said that they have been following the situation in Kashmir and added that US-India relations were based on mutual respect for democracy. However, the KOA differed from the arguments of human rights violations and sought to bring the attention of the commission to the terrorist organisations based in Pakistan.

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“About 130 terrorists and 25 terrorist groups listed and sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council for association with Al-Qaida, ISIS and associated terrorist groups are still based in Pakistan. It is no surprise that Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind 9/11 that took nearly 3,000 American lives, was found by the US intelligence to be residing mere miles from a Pakistani military base.

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The Association claimed that behind Pakistan's opposition on Kashmir was a “sham” and far from being genuine. “Given Pakistan''s shameful record regarding the treatment of its own minority citizens including Ahmadi Muslims, Shia Hazaras, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus, the country's professed concern for Kashmiris is a politically motivated sham,” read the statement.