Kashmir Council-EU protests 108 days of curfew in occupied valley in Belgium

BRUSSELS: The Kashmir Council-European Union (KC-EU) on Wednesday staged a protest here in the Belgian capital against the 108 days of curfew imposed in the occupied Muslim-majority valley.

The KC-EU arranged a one-day camp in Brussels — titled “108 Day of Curfew in Occupied Kashmir” — to protest the endless curfew imposed by the Indian authorities in occupied Kashmir. It was held in front of the European External Action Service (EEAS) at Schuman Square, where numerous major institutions of the European Union are located.

During the camp, which was held from 11AM to 5PM, the organisers distributed brochures on the Kashmir issue, focusing on the constant curfew situation and the severe violation of human rights in Indian-occupied Kashmir at the hands of the Indian Army.

The leaflets indicated that it had been 108 days since India imposed a strict curfew in the Himalayan valley, causing extreme challenges to the local community, most of whom were Muslims.

People who helped in setting up the camp included prominent social figures, such as World Kashmir Diaspora Alliance Europe President Chaudhry Khalid Mahmood Joshi, Kashmiri leaders Shajhan Mir and Sardar Siddique, Chaudhry Imran Saqib, Amir Naeem Sunny, Syed Azhar Shah, and Mahar Nadeem.

Megaphones were used to raise voice in favour of the oppressed people of Kashmir and against Indian authorities involved in targeting the innocent people of IoK.

The organisers also took signatures from bystanders and passersby in favour of the Kashmiris suffering from Indian atrocities. The one-million signature drive is an important part of the KC-EU's activities pertaining to the occupied Muslim-majority valley in Europe.

On the occasion, KC-EU Chairperson Ali Raza Syed noted that it was the 108th day of the imposition of a curfew in occupied Kashmir but lamented how the international community was still silent on the matter.

"We were expecting Europeans to play their role for the end of curfew in Kashmir valley but, so far, they are speechless on this matter.

"We set up this camp to remind Europe to pay attention towards this serious human [rights] issue in occupied Kashmir, facing continual of curfew, causing severe hardships for the people of that land," Syed added.

Other speakers also called upon the international community especially the world powers, including the United States and the EU, to take serious notice of the severe situation in IoK.

"They should play their useful role for preventing human rights violation and just and peaceful resolution of issue of Jammu and Kashmir," the speakers underlined.