ISI-backed Kashmir think tank resumes anti-India activities

The ISI-backed International Council for Human Rights has resumed its anti-India activities in Europe with moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq in tow.

The Mirwaiz, who flew to Geneva a few days back, was one of the speakers at a seminar entitled human rights and peaceful protest at the United Nations (Palais des Nations) in Geneva on Tuesday.

Other speakers included Barrister Abdul Majid Tramboo, chairman, ICHR, Nazir Ahmed Shawl, chairman, Justice Foundation Kashmir Centre London, Karen Parker of the International Educational Development, Joshua Castellino, head, Law Department, Middlesex University, Aoifa Daly, School of Law and the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex and Ronald Barnes, chairman, Indigenous Peoples and Nations Coalition.

This was the first major seminar after Kashmir American Council chairman Ghulam Nabi Fai was arrested by the FBI on charges of being an ISI agent. The sub-text of the seminar was to show the existence of Kashmiri separatist organisations, which had gone into temporary shell following Fai’s arrest.

“In the summer of 2010, almost 120 young men died at the hands of the Indian military and paramilitary forces while exercising their right to protest with precious little action from the international community,' said Barrister Tramboo in his opening remarks signaling the intention of the seminar.

Tramboo, who also issued a statement later on, called on the United Nations, civil society, NGOs to work together at the Human Rights Council in order to pursue justice for the families of the victims.

“The recent discovery of over 2,000 bodies in mass graves in three regions of Kashmir was jus the tip of the iceberg and an indication that we, unfortunately, should prepare to hear of more discoveries. The European Parliament Urgency Resolution on Mass Graves in Kashmir from August 2008 (which called for an investigation into the almost 1000 bodies that were found at that time) said that no action had been taken," he said.

The Mirwaiz, according to a statement, highlighted that all protests happen within a context. “The youth are compelled to protest as they have been left with no other recourse. The denial of the right to self-determination and with the backdrop of Indian aggression and mass human rights abuses the people of Kashmir are forced to come out onto the streets. There can be no substitute for allowing the people of Kashmir to choose their own destiny," he said.

Despite the ISI taint on Tramboo, the Mirwaiz chose to fly to Geneva. And the Indian was too generous to allow him to do so knowing Tramboo's workings and source of funding.

This was despite the fact that an FBI filed an affidavit in a district court identifying three people including Tramboo as agents working on behalf of Pakistan and its ISI to influence opinion on Kashmir.