Muzaffarabad: Speakers at a seminar have urged the world community, particularly the United Nations, to take serious notice of India and its occupying forces using women as a weapon of war in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
According to Kashmir24, the seminar was organized by the Kashmir Policy Research Institute (KPRI) in connection with International Women’s Day in Muzaffarabad.
The speakers stated that women in IIOJK continue to face numerous crimes, including sexual violence, at the hands of Indian forces. They emphasized that the use of women as a weapon of war in any disputed territory constitutes a grave violation of international law. They further said since August 5, 2019, India has turned occupied Kashmir into an open human prison, leaving women in an atmosphere of fear and insecurity.
The speakers highlighted that, in contrast, women in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) are provided constitutional protection. The state has enacted a Women Protection Act, and special centres for women have been established within the police and other institutions. They said that several institutions exist at the state level to ensure women’s protection and to provide them with opportunities for progress.