ISLAMABAD: Mushaal Hussein Mullick, wife of incarcerated Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, has expressed her utter dismay and frustration over the “deaf and dumb approach” adopted by the international community and women’s rights organisations towards the horrific use of sexual violence as a weapon of war to quell the Kashmiri freedom movement.

Mushaal, Chairperson of the Peace and Culture Organisation in a message to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women regretted the lack of action to stop the epidemic of violence against women and girls in the occupied valley.

She said that the occupation forces crossed limits of barbarism and inhuman acts to silence the dissenting voices, as the human rights and women rights organisations watch the situation like silent onlookers.

Mushaal applauded UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his call to observe the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. She urged him to raise awareness about the violence and humiliation faced by women in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and to take concrete steps to put an end to these inhumane acts.

She emphasised that the violence against women in Kashmir is a stark example of how rape is being used as a weapon of war to crush the will of the Kashmiri people and deny them their fundamental right to self-determination.

She stressed that it is essential to acknowledge the severity of this issue and work towards creating a safer and more just environment for the women of Kashmir.

Mushaal highlighted the devastating impact of the Indian forces’ brutal actions in Kashmir, which have left over 30,000 women widowed and more than 90,000 children orphaned.

Furthermore, she added, several thousand Kashmiri girls and women have been victims of sexual violence.

The Chairperson recalled that the Indian army’s atrocities have severely impacted the lives of over 50,000 women in Kashmir since 1989.

Mushaal pointed out that as documented by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, these atrocities include gang rapes of young girls and elderly women, abductions by military and paramilitary forces, and sexual abuse, sometimes in the presence of male family members, adding that these heinous acts are used as a weapon of war, perpetuating a cycle of violence and trauma.

Furthermore, the presence of over 900,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces in the Kashmir Valley has significantly heightened the sense of insecurity among women and children.

The Chairperson expressed her deep disappointment that the situation in the occupied valley has drastically deteriorated, primarily due to the international community’s inadequate and unconvincing response to the plight of the Kashmiri people, particularly women.

Mushaal pointed out that the armed forces in Kashmir have been granted impunity to exploit women’s rights and freedoms, often through sexual violence.

She cited a report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighting the Kunan-Poshpora mass rape as a significant example of the state’s failure to investigate and prosecute allegations of sexual violence.

This incident occurred 27 years ago, on February 23, 1991, soldiers from the Indian Army’s 4 Rajputana Rifles regiment gang-raped around 23 women from Kunan and Poshpora villages in Kupwara district and despite attempts to seek justice, the authorities have consistently denied and blocked them.

Mushaal called upon the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch to press the Indian notorious government to stop the worst ongoing women rights violation and hold accountable the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2024