Kashmir human rights activist presents Sajjad Karim with new report on abuses

On 15 September, Sajjad Karim MEP was presented with a new report on Kashmir by a prominent human rights activist in the region. Khurram Parvez (pictured) - a member of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society - met with Dr Karim during Kashmir-EU Week, which the Conservative MEP is hosting in the European Parliament, to hand him his report called ‘Structures of Violence’, on the role of the Indian State in Jammu and Kashmir.

They were joined by co-author of the report, Kartik Murukutla, and chairman of the Kashmir Council EU, Ali Raza.

The report is about the failure of the Indian judicial system in the troubled area and the impunity of thousands of perpetrators of human rights abuses that have occurred there.

Speaking in Brussels, Parvez said: "We presented the report to Dr Sajjad Karim, and he has taken it and assured us that he will personally read it through, and look for the possibility of using it in the dialogue within the EU on Kashmir. We are very hopeful that he and other MEPs will read the report and consider either sending an EU mission to Kashmir or at least organizing a hearing on Kashmir in the European Parliament.

"The EU is one very big example of globalization, but in this era of globalization are we only going to talk about the globalization of resources? Are we not going to talk about the globalization of human rights responsibilities? Is the EU not responsible for the protection of the rights of the people of Kashmir, even if the EU does not have direct stakes in Kashmir? The EU has a model of responsibility for protecting the people of Kashmir and that's why we are here."

Dr Karim is an active MEP in the area of India, Pakistan and Kashmir. Over the years he has contributed a great deal to the region, including being a key player in Pakistan gaining its GSP+ status, producing two trade-related European Parliament Reports on EU-India Trade Relations and the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, and also a resolution on allegations of mass graves in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Speaking on Parvez's visit, Dr Karim said: "I am extremely pleased that Khurram has been able to come all the way here during Kashmir-EU Week, in order to present myself with his new report, 'Structures of Violence'. The work that he does for the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society contributes so much to the dialogue in the region and this report is crucial in identifying the atrocities committed. I have every intention of reading this report and ensuring that its potential is maximized."

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