Observe human rights week from Dec 3: Joint Hurriyat to people

Srinagar, Dec 1:Joint Hurriyat leadership on Saturday urged the people of Kashmir to observe human rights week from December 3 by holding candlelight vigils to highlight the “grave” human rights violations in Kashmir.

In a statement, the Joint Hurriyat comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik appealed to the “freedom-loving” people of Kashmir to lit candles and torchlights outside the mosques in their localities after evening prayers from December 3-9.

“We appeal to the people of Kashmir to lit candles and torchlights outside mosques in their localities, towns and villages to highlight grave human rights violations at the international level and turn the attention of world community towards them,” said the Joint Hurriyat, in the statement.

Condemning the arrests and search operations, the Joint Hurriyat also urged the members of civil society, Bar association, traders, employees and transporters to hold protests during the week to highlight the violations.

The leaders asked the prayers leaders to highlight the issues of human rights violations during their Friday sermons.

Joint Hurriyat also appealed to the human rights bodies like the UN Rights Commission and Amnesty International to take a serious notice of the human rights violations in Kashmir and “pressurise” India to stop its “aggressive and anti-Kashmir” policies.