OIC-IPHRC strongly condemns & rejects Indian Govt’s illegal ‘Delimitation’ of electoral constituencies in IOJK

JEDDAH, May 13 (SABAH): The Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has strongly condemned the Indian Government’s recently concluded illegal exercise to redraw and delimit the electoral constituencies in the IOJK and termed it as violative of numerous OIC and United Nations Security Council Resolutions as well as international human rights and humanitarian laws. IPHRC, accordingly supports the unanimous rejection of the Kashmiri political leadership of these illegal measures, which are continuum of the host of other ‘Hindutva’ inspired illegal steps taken by the Indian occupation regime in IOJK in the aftermath of the 5th August 2019.

While recalling that the indigenous Kashmiri political leadership has always rejected and boycotted the electoral politics in IOJK, the Commission condemns the recent Indian attempt to redraw electoral constituencies in IOJK, which is a nefarious attempt to alter the electoral demographics and dynamics in a manner that could influence the sham electoral results to install puppet regimes of its choice in IOJK. These wicked measures are aimed at converting the indigenous Muslim population into minority within their homeland and obstruct the exercise of their inalienable right to self-determination.

These measures are manifest violations of the human rights of the Kashmiri people, guaranteed under well codified international human rights treaties including Fourth Geneva Convention, which clearly prohibits any change in the demographics of the occupied areas and resultant disenfranchisement, the Commission added.

The Commission, while rejecting these measures as illegal, reiterates its oft repeated call to the UN and the international community to play their due role to pressurize India to: a) abide by the relevant UNSC and OIC resolutions to refrain from any administrative and legislative actions, which tantamount to altering the geographic and demographic status of the IOJK; b) restore all fundamental freedoms of Kashmiris and repeal all discriminatory laws; and c) allow people of Kashmir to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination through a free and fair plebiscite, as provided in the relevant UN Security Council and OIC resolutions.