A conference "Kashmir Through Women's Eyes" held at EU Parliament

Brussels: A conference titled as "Kashmir Through Women's Eyes" was organised by International Council for Human Development (ICHD) and Kashmir Council EU on Tuesday at European Parliament.

The conference was hosted by member of European Parliament Dr.Sajjad Haider Karim.

A number of the prominent personalities including Farzana Yaqoob, the minister of Social Welfare of AJK, Khaula Siddiqi, co-founder of SILK from Canada, Member of Brussels Parliament Daniel Caron, Sadia Mir, a lecturer at a University in UK, Saddiqe Kayani from Germany and Shamaila Mehmood from Pakistan, HR activist from Holland Marjan Locas, MEPs and a large number of women from Kashmir and Europe participated in the event.

Addressing the conference as main guest, the AJK Minister Farzana Yaqoob said, people in Indian Held Kashmir are being deprived of basic rights. Their rights have been violated by the state machinery. The government in the Held Kashmir  is involved in the statement terrorism through black laws. Unfortunately, big powers of the world take action only when they have interests. By oppressing the people, India avoided the rights of self-determination of Kashmiris but nobody is ready to prevent it. International community should come forward and help the Kashmiris in order to provide them right of self-determination.

Sajjad Karim as host of the conference said, we have talked about the rights of the Kashmiri people and would continue to raise our voices in support of Kashmir cause.

Khaula Saddiqi from Canada informed the participants of the conference about her personal story and said, she was just four years old when her parents brought out her from the Held Kashmir.

She said, she is still in contact with her friends and relatives as they are suffering from hardships and severe miseries.

Life of the people of Kashmir has been difficult specially Kashmiri women are suffering more than others.

Shamaila Mehmmod also described her story and said International community should provide justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. She also highlighted the issue of water in the region.

Member of Brussels Parliament Daniel Caron said, we always support the human rights and Europe should not ignore the issue of human rights in Kashmir. Member EU parliament Philip Bennion also talked during the conference.

Speakers of the conference emphasized that international community particularly human rights organizations should come forward to prevent human rights violation against the oppressed Kashmiri people especially innocent women of Kashmir.

Speaking on the occasion, ICHD Chairman Ali Raza Syed said, Kashmir is one of the longest outstanding conflicts that remain to this day. The conference was designed to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri women as the major victim of the conflict facing myriad problems including torture, rape, humiliation, murders, displacements and repressions.

He said, many leading voices struggling for the rights and freedoms of the women in general and Kashmiri women in particular attended the conference. We are proud to tell that most of the individuals, forums and organizations constituting women rights activists and lobbyists have acknowledged our initiative by participating in the event.

The ICHD is a representative forum of volunteer activists working for the human rights in Kashmir including right to self determination. We believe in peaceful promotion of the rights and freedoms of the people of Kashmir who are forced the live under the tyranny of the state repression, Ali Raza Syed said.

We believe that the conference would contribute towards the richness of the debate and strength of the demands by the women of Kashmir, he said. Questions and answers session was also held at the conclusion of the conference.