India faces Kashmir campaign at Common wealth games in UK

BIRMINGHAM (PNI) As Indian women cricketers took to field against their Australian counterparts at Women Cricket Match as part of Common Wealth Games 2022, human rights defenders started kick started an awareness campaign in the UK on Friday to highlight illegal occupation of Kashmir by New Delhi.

The campaign to draw attention towards disastrous human rights situation in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK) was jointly organized by Stop the War Coalition and Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK.

Activists and rights defenders launched the Kashmir awareness campaign outside Edgbaston Cricket ground in Birmingham where Indian and Australian women cricket teams played each other.

The campaigners held banners and raised slogans seeking end to critical human rights situation in the IIoJK and said the only way to bring relief to Kashmiris in the UN-designated disputed territory is to allow them to decide their political fate under UN-monitored plebiscite.

Stuart Richardson, Secretary General of Stop the War Coalition Birmingham branch and Khawajah Muhammad Suleman, chair KIRC of Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK, led the campaign while their volunteers distributed of leaflets against atrocities committed by the occupying Indian soldiers in IIoJK.

IIoJK is world’s largest military zone where India has deployed more than one million troops against the will and wish of its people.

While the UN has granted Kashmiris a choice, right to self-determination, to decide their future, India has been a stumbling block to implement these resolutions.

India military, police and civil officials, various reports by the UNHRC, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, JKCCS and other human rights organizations, have revealed are involved in atrocities including war crimes, crimes against humanity and now demographic changes which are brutal violation of Geneva Convetions.

“Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK has been at the forefront to seek international attention and probe by international groups into these massive allegations against India which is a farce democracy,” said Fahim Kayani in a statement.

The campaigns held while Australians played Indian cricketers “is an important initiative to draw attention of Australian people as how they can normalize their relations with Indians who are engaged in mass violation of international and humanitarian laws in IIoJK,” Kayani said, urging all sports persons to value humanity across the board without any difference and distinction.