Arrest of Tanveer Ahmed : The head of Jammu Kashmir Council for Human Rights, Dr. Nazir Gilani has written a letter to AJK Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and Pak High Commissioner to London in which he expressed his concerns over the rearrest of British Kashmiri journalist Tanveer Ahmed and Azad Kashmir Government’s over all role in the independence movement.
Another political and human rights activist Quayyum Raja urges the AJK prime minister to benefit from sincere advice by Dr. Gilani and restore the tarnished image of the AJK administration.
We publish the full text of Dr. Nazir Gilani’s letter.
JKCHR – Jammu and Kashmir Council for Human Rights
NGO in Special Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nations
Established in 1984
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
– Universal Declaration of Human Rights
191 Primrose Lane, Surrey, London CR0 8YQ (UK)
t: +44 2033 711 202 f: +44 2084 329 503
e: info@jkchr.com www.jkchr.com WhatsApp: 00 44 771 48 46 431
11 March 2022
Hon’ble Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi
Prime Minister of Azad State of Jammu & Kashmir
Prime Minister’s Secretariat
Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir
Hon’ble Prime Minister
Tanveer Ahmed Rafiq
British Kashmiri
We are informed that Tanveer Ahmed Rafiq a British Kashmiri has been arrested from the Kotli Martyrs Square (Kotli Chowk Shaeedan) yesterday on 10 March by the local police and agency personnel. He was engaged in a peaceful campaign for raising awareness about various issues of governance in Azad Kashmir etc.
Tanveer Ahmed Rafiq is a well-known journalist and social activist. The arrest has no merit and we are deeply concerned. In this regard I would like to respectfully state as follows:
Azad Kashmir Government has assumed responsibilities (and shares them with the Government of Pakistan) under UNCIP Resolutions. The UN Security Council Resolution 47 guarantees the “freedom of the press, speech and assembly and freedom of travel in the State, including freedom of lawful entry and exit” to all State Subjects. The State administrations have to invite the citizens and assure them that they are “free to return to their homes and to exercise their rights as such citizens”.
Read Also: Missile Fired at Pakistan, India Admits Mistake
The June 2018 Report by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has discussed the Human Rights situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in paras 141 to 161 and has made seven recommendations to the Government of Pakistan to correct the situation.
We trust that the two Governments would have made their best efforts to improve the rights regime as recommended in the OHCHR report/s. The arrest of Tanveer Ahmed Rafiq is a serious misdirection of wisdom and needs immediate correction.
Civil society institutions are judged on the basis of the character of their work. Our argument against the Human Rights situation in Indian-Administered Kashmir (now occupied) as detailed in the June 2018 Report by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in paras 42 to 140 and 17 recommendations made to improve the situation, would have no merit and credibility, if we fail to improve the situation in Azad Kashmir.
You are requested to very kindly address the arrest and the loss of liberty of Tanveer Ahmed Rafiq. His arrest under 16 PMO is unconvincing and without merit. JKCHR inscribes its interest in the matter and requests for his immediate release.
Please note that I am copying Chaudhary Latif Akbar Sahib, Leader of the Opposition and HE Moazzam Ahmed Khan High Commissioner of Pakistan in London into this communication.
I sincerely look forward to your early and appropriate action in the matter.
Yours Sincerely
Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani
President-JKCHR
CC
Chaudhary Latif Akbar Leader of the Opposition Muzaffarabad – Azad Kashmir
HE Moazzam Ahmed Khan
High Commissioner
Pakistan High Commission – London
