Once again, the world has witnessed massive protest demonstrations by the JKLF supporters in the Indian occupied Kashmir. These demonstrations have followed on account of the custodial killing of JKLF's District Baramulla Secretary, Jalil Ahmed Shah. The murdered Shah had donated, on 2 February 2001, blood for the Gujarat Earthquake victims. On the 11 February 2001, he participated in the Shaheed Maqbool Butt's anniversary at Srinagar. He was picked up by SOG on the 13 February 2001. Shah's body was found on Thursday, 15 February 2001 on the Srinagar and Baramulla Highway near Pattan.

Shah's murder led to a massive peaceful demonstration by JKLF at Hygam in which the Indian military forces, led by Captain Tewari of RR, killed six innocent Kashmiris including Mr. Shah's sister, aunt and cousin. The unprovoked killings shocked the Kashmiris, resulting in their holding of a series of massive demonstrations across the valley. The Indian authorities clamped down with a 24 hours curfew in most parts of Kashmir.

Maisuma, where the JKLF Headquarters is located, is fortified by the Indian Security Forces. This area has been under dusk to dawn curfew for the last five days. Despite this, JKLF supporters, led by Javed Mir, in large numbers defied the curfew restrictions and took to streets protesting against the unlawful killings. One military intelligence officer opened fire with his pistol at point blank range on the JKLF protesters, narrowly missing Javed Mir, but killing Javed Ahmed Nath, who was just in front of him, and injuring many others.

Mohd. Yasin Malik, the Chairman of JKLF, after having arrived from Delhi, was on his way to participate in the rasam-e-qul of the deceased Nath when he was arrested by the Indian authorities at the Srinagar Airport and detained at the Kothi Bagh Police Station.

JKLF unequivocally condemns such acts of violence deliberately being perpetrated against the Kashmiris by the Indian Security Forces, these said Security Forces supposedly upholding a cease-fire as declared by the Prime Minister of India. Such acts of violence translate into, and constitute state terrorism and the international community should take note of this, particularly in view of the clear admission made by the Indian Corps Commander stationed at Srinagar Lt. Gen. J R Mukherjee.

JKLF believes that India's political hypocrisy is exposed in terms that, on the one hand, the government declares cease-fire, but, on the other hand, the Indian forces on the ground kill, maim and injure Kashmiris. Just in the last 25 days, there have been 25 custodial killings. Clearly, over the last three weeks, Indian forces have violated their own government's cease-fire and sabotaged the so called peace process.

Through these actions, the Indian government has clearly shown itself to be neither sincere nor serious in its attempts at a viable resolution for the Kashmiri conflict and that its claimed ceasefire is only a eyewash for the international community.

It is our firm opinion that nothing much has changed since the custodial killing four years ago of the JKLF activist Jalil Andrabi. Undoubtedly, massive human rights violations continue to be perpetrated in the occupied territory. Political prisoners continue to languish in prisons without charges or trials. We particularly wish to draw your attention to the unprecedented problems faced by Noor Mohd. Kalwal and Rauf Kashmiri, who time and again secure release orders from the courts but the Indian authorities refuse to release them.

We believe that human rights violations in the Indian Occupied Kashmir will cease only once the Indian military and para-military forces withdraw from there.

On 12^th February 2001, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (Azad Kashmir Zone) and their allied organisations, participated in a peaceful march at Islamabad. The march was intended to present a petition, concerning the human rights situation in Gilgit, to the United Nations at their offices in Islamabad. The Pakistani authorities not only stopped the march to proceed to the UN offices, but also arrested fourteen marchers, including our Publicity Secretary Raja Latif Tahir and Shaheed Maqbool Butt's son, Shoukat Butt. All the fourteen are currently detained at Addyala Jail in Rawalpindi.

This action by the Pakistani authorities has, understandably, angered the Kashmiris, leading to mass protests within the Pakistani Controlled Kashmir at Mirpur, Dadyal, Rawalakot, Kotli and Muzzaffarabad.

We believe that the fourteen arrested Kashmiris are being subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment by the prison authorities. Nobody is given access to the prisoners, including their relatives and/or lawyers.

In addition, the Government of Pakistan has recently undertaken a massively expensive programme to expand the Mangla Dam that will displace thousands of Kashmiris at Mirpur against their will. These people had yet to reconcile with the previous forced eviction and now they are subjected to face yet another dislocation. We understand the resistance against this is quelled by force.

Clearly, such acts contradict the Government of Pakistan's claim of being friends of the Kashmiri people.

These actions of the Government of Pakistan are in direct contravention to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Government of Pakistan has particularly violated the articles 20 -Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, 19 - Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, 9 - No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention, 17 - Everyone has the right to own property..., No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property, and 3 - Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person.

However, we call upon the Government of Pakistan to abide by the UN international instruments and permit the people of Jammu & Kashmir (under its control) to exercise

their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of opinion and expression, and to refrain from arbitrary arrests and detention, and displacement of Kashmiris.

Consequently, we demand that all the detained political prisoners should be released forthwith and forcible displacement stopped.

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